Of Weddings and Warfare
by j-jip
Summary: In the midst of a looming war, an old law is brought back to life. Hermione Granger soon finds herself in a hasty engagement to a man that just happens to be her professor. Marriage Law. AU from the end of HBP. COMPLETE.
1. The News

_A little background:_ This story takes place in 1997-98, the trio's seventh year. This is therefore AU in which Dumbledore didn't die, and there was never an assignment for Malfoy to kill him. Essentially what would happen if the Trio went to Hogwarts their seventh year and things were a little more drawn out...

* * *

It was a drastic meeting of sorts. Albus liked to think that Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape were two of his most trusted allies, despite what people tended to say about the latter.

Severus sat stiffly, as usual, with his black robes neatly arranged around his thin form. Minerva sat beside him, her hat perched precariously, Her lips pursed in anticipation.

"Well it has to be someone from the Order," the older woman said in tight voice, "I won't allow her to marry anybody else in these times. We can barely trust anyone as it is, and who knows who the Ministry can get to!"

Albus nodded, examining his steepled fingers with intensity. He looked up. Severus had been quiet throughout most of this meeting. "Severus, what do you think?" he asked, turning to the quiet man.

Severus seemed vaguely irritated, "I could honestly care less about what you do with the girl. Go ahead, marry her off to someone in the Order, just don't expect Molly Weasley to not put up a fight. Even _I_ have noticed how focused she is on having Granger marry her youngest boy."

Albus considered this. Molly would definitely protest if he married Miss Granger off to another Order member, but it seemed like something they had to do. The young Mr. Weasley was not an option, and neither was Harry. The law had its absurd age requirements, and it seemed that it had been put into effect only a few days after the girl turned eighteen. Quite suspicious.

Minerva piped up, "I think this is all too unfair for Hermione. She deserves to know about this before we decide her fate in such a manner."

"Yes, I agree, Minerva," Albus observed, "perhaps we ought to bring her here? Surely she's heard about the law already."

"I'll fetch her," the Gryffindor Head of House said, standing up and retreating from the office.

"I doubt you'll be needing me much longer, Albus, and I must prepare for my morning classes," Severus breathed, standing and nodding at the man across the desk.

Albus was lost in thought. He waved Severus off and retreated to the back of his office, where the shelves held many interesting trinkets he had acquired over the years. His eye caught when the morning light glimmered over one trinket in particular…

* * *

Hermione had been innocently eating her toast in the Great Hall when she heard the news. Apparently all the other students had found out via Prophet. She used to always read the Prophet in the mornings, but as of late it had been too irritating to pay any attention to. The wizarding newspaper was often a source of slanderous and silly remarks about Harry, Dumbledore, and various others.

It was because of her ignorance to the Prophet that she found herself quite confused at the amount of tension around the Great Hall. Ron and Harry were still sleeping, as was their customary Sunday routine, so she was unable to ask them if they knew what was going on.

Looking around, Hermione noticed that nearly everyone was reading the Prophet, and some of the older students, including most of the Seventh years, seemed to be very distressed at what they saw.

Hermione spotted Seamus and Dean, who were sitting down the Gryffindor table a few seats from her. She scooted down and asked what was going on.

"The Ministry's decided to bring back a Marriage Law," Dean exclaimed, as if excited that he was able to relay such monumental news.

Hermione furrowed her brow, "may I see?"

He handed the paper over. She scanned headlines and articles briskly. Most were focused on this apparent Marriage Law. She barely had time to get far into the paper before a hand fell on her shoulder.

"Miss Granger?' McGonagall's voice called. Hermione turned to see her Head of House wearing a grim expression. "The Headmaster and I would like to have a word with you."

"Oh," she hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. She had a feeling that Dumbledore wanted to speak about this strange new law, and that could only mean bad news. Her stomach dropped.

"Please follow me," McGonagall voiced, turning towards the exit of the Great Hall.

As Hermione followed her Transfiguration Professor, Seamus muttered a quiet realization to Dean, "She's eighteen already, remember? That means she's eligible for the law."

* * *

Albus had retreated to the back of his office, where he stood in front of a small case. Within, it held an ornate gold locket. The previous night, he had consulted said locket shortly after hearing of the new law.

Now, he consulted it again.

The Headmaster opened it gently. Within were two hollowed out golden hearts, shining in the streaks of sunlight that cascaded through a nearby window.

"Hermione Granger," Albus said, watching the hallowed heart with great caution.

The face and shoulders of the young woman appeared, slightly foggy through the unpolished gold. Her hair was bushy and she wore a Head Girl badge proudly over her Gryffindor robes. The smudged gold distorted her face slightly, but it was still unmistakably Hermione Granger.

After a few more seconds, another face materialized in the opposite half of the locket. Albus smiled at the sight. It was the same face as he had been shown the previous evening.

_Perfect_, he thought to himself.

* * *

"Albus?" Minerva called into the large, decorated office. He had been sitting at his desk just a minute ago.

After a moment, one particularly jolly looking Albus Dumbledore re-entered the front area of the office. "Ah, Miss Granger, I'm glad you could join us," he chimed, smiling at the young witch.

Minerva noticed a slight twinkle in the older Wizard's eye. _How odd…_ she hadn't seen much of _that_ expression lately, what with the looming war and all the stress it had been placing on the Headmaster.

"Is this about the Marriage Law?" Hermione asked, her shoulders set rigidly.

Albus exhaled, "Yes, I'm sorry to inform you that it is. As you have surely figured out, this law pertains to you."

Hermione nodded once, her mouth pulled tight. Minerva examined the girl closely.

"Please, sit down," Albus said, motioning to one of the chairs across from his desk.

Minerva watched Hermione take a seat, and then moved to sit in the adjacent chair.

"Now," Albus began, "How much have you heard about this law, Miss Granger?"

"Not much at all," Granger murmured, "I'd only just looked over what the Prophet said about it when Professor McGonagall came to get me."

Albus nodded in understanding, and proceeded to explain the law in depth. Minerva watched the girl carefully, noting the way her already ashen face fell even more when the Headmaster explained the age minimum. She had obviously been thinking that she could get away with marrying Weasley or Potter.

After Albus had explained everything, Hermione looked more distraught than ever. She glanced to her left and Minerva gave her a reassuring smile.

"Now, as I'm sure you know, this law will apply to many students at Hogwarts," Albus explained, "but there are reasons why it pertains to you in particular."

"The Death Eaters still have their hands in the Ministry," She finished. Minerva was surprised by her insightfulness, but really, she ought to have expected this from the girl all along.

"Yes," Albus said solemnly, "Our attempts at weeding out the Death Eater sympathizers have failed. They have come up with a truly clever way to interfere."

Her lips twisted into a frown. "But how could they have gotten this approved?" She asked, eyes lighting up, "Wizarding Marriage Laws of any sort were abolished in the 1700's."

Albus nodded, "Manipulating the Minister of Magic is a very powerful thing."

Minerva gave Albus a sharp glare. It wouldn't do to have him spilling all this information to the girl.

"Scrimgeour's one of them?" She questioned, outraged.

"No, no, I don't think he has any Death Eater affiliations," The headmaster assured, "but I fear that they have found a way to blackmail him, or that another Death Eater is in a high enough place of power to work around him."

Minerva watched as Granger nodded calmly, absorbing the information. She was obviously trying to put up a calm front.

"Who are they trying to get to with this law?" She asked.

"I'm afraid that I'm not completely sure of that, Miss Granger, though Professor McGonagall and I do have our suspicious."

"Who?" she asked, looking to Minerva, then back at Dumbledore.

"You," Minerva said gravely, "and all of the other Muggleborns or Half-Bloods that they can get their hands on."

Hermione seemed to lose her calm for a split second. Her expression broke into one of despair and fear. Then she was composed once again. She nodded as the evidence dawned on her, "Purebloods have exemptions from the law."

"Yes," Albus replied, "Purebloods are allowed a month to choose a spouse, Muggleborns and Half-Bloods are only allowed a week to marry before a partner is chosen for them."

"And if we wait a week," she said roughly, "they'll pick a Death Eater for me to marry."

"Yes, that will likely happen," Minerva said solemnly.

She took a deep, shaking breath, "But the marriage proposal must be approved by the Ministry. How will I get any marriage approved when they want to marry me off to a Death Eater?"

Minerva recalled the earlier conversation she had exchanged with Albus and Severus.

"_Severus," Albus sighed wearily, "You must go to the Ministry and find our contact. Make sure he will approve whomever we propose for Miss Granger to marry. We need our contact to intercept the proposal before any Death Eater associates can."  
_

_Severus appreared to disapprove of the plan, but he nodded._

"_Severus, remember that she is essential to the cause," Albus said calmly, "this marriage must be arranged correctly."_

"_Of course," Severus intoned._

"Trust me, Miss Granger," Albus began, "I will make sure that is taken care of. The proposal will be approved."

The fight seemed to leave the girl. She slumped back in the chair. "So who can I marry?"

Minerva sighed. She opened her mouth to explained, but paused as Albus caught her eye. The twinkle had returned to his expression. He hid it well, but Minerva had known him for years. She was bound to pick up on the hints of mischievousness in his eyes.

"We feel that it would be wisest for you to marry a member of the Order," Albus said calmly, "That way you would be as protected as possible."

She nodded slowly. Minerva watched as the girl's eyes then fell to the floor. She seemed disappointed, and it once again seemed that Hermione's sights had been set on Potter or Weasley.

There was a long moment of silence as the young witch gazed at the ground. The poor girl, she didn't want to get married. She especially didn't want to marry a near stranger from the Order. But perhaps it could be one of the older Weasley boys, Minerva thought, surely she wouldn't mind that too terribly.

"Is there anyone you would prefer, Hermione?" Minerva asked softly.

She waited a second before shaking her head, "I- I don't know. I've never considered anything like this before."

"That's alright, dear," she replied, patting the girl's arm, "Don't fret, we'll figure this out."

Hermione seemed only marginally consoled. Minerva looked to Albus, who still held that silly twinkle in his eye.

"Miss Granger," Albus begun, "why don't you go and take the day to yourself? Professor McGonagall and I will find someone suitable and have you back here this evening for your opinion."

Minerva watched the girl nod, sigh deeply, and then stand from her chair. "Thank you, Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, I appreciate what you both are doing for me."

She exited the room slowly, leaving Minerva surprised by her tremendous maturity, but really, she ought have expected this much from the girl. Hermione Granger had truly grown into a mature and brave young woman. Perhaps the responsibility of being Head Girl had done her well this year.

Albus was smiling when the door closed behind Hermione. "And just what are you grinning about?" Minerva quipped.

"I think I have a perfect partner for Miss Granger," Albus proclaimed, "and he happens to be right here at Hogwarts…"

* * *

**Author's Note:** I've got a lot planned for this Fic, and I plan on updating very soon. This was only a short preliminary chapter, it'll get longer as we go. Also, reviews are my lifeblood.


	2. A Husband

Hermione spent the remainder of her morning in the Library. She figured she was lucky that Harry and Ron would sleep until noon; it gave her time to think all of this through.

She sat alone at her table at the library – it was her table because she frequented the library, and as Head Girl, most others were afraid of encroaching on her space – thinking about this damned law.

The library was quiet on this autumn morning. It was the middle of September, just two days after Hermione's eighteenth birthday. She realized that it really was quite suspicious that the law had gone into effect only two days after she turned eighteen. Hermione shook her head, _just a coincidence._

She pulled her legs up and hugged her knees. It was fair to say that she was going through a mediocre amount of emotional turmoil at the moment. This was going to turn her life upside-down. It already had, actually. She didn't want to get married. And then on top of the whole marriage aspect there was the sex.

She definitely hadn't allowed _that_ detail of the law to go unnoticed. The Ministry was claiming that this whole thing was in an effort to replenish the Wizarding population. Thus, they required each married couple to have sex once every two weeks, starting on the night of their wedding. Hermione buried her head in her arms. She didn't want to have sex with some random order member. Frankly, she didn't want to have sex with anyone at this point in her life.

Hermione wished that she could owl her mum for help. The only problem was that her parents were living in Australia with no clue that they had a daughter. She had Obliviated them over the summer for their own safety.

With an ache in her chest and tightness in her throat, Hermione realized that she missed her mum terribly. Her mother would know how to deal with circumstances like these. But alas, Hermione was on her own.

Hermione tried to create a list in her mind of all the people she could marry. Someone from the Order, Dumbledore had said. Who could she even marry from the Order? An image of Snape popped into her head and Hermione grimaced, sinking deeper into the chair.

After about an hour or so of this grim contemplation, Hermione had decided that she needed to be brave and strong. She was going to take this law in stride and show the Death Eaters that they couldn't get to her this easily. Voldemort was gaining more power by the day, and terrorizing both the Muggle and Wizarding population constantly. Hermione wouldn't run away and hide from this law. She was going to fight the Death Eaters every step of the way. A sweet sense of rebellion filled her when she thought about how angry she could make them by spoiling their plans and marrying an Order member.

* * *

Hermione ended up getting out of the library around noon. Upon her arrival at the Great Hall for lunch, she spotted Harry, Ron, and Ginny sitting together at their end of the table.

Ginny noticed her first, and she could feel the redhead's intense scrutiny. They had undoubtedly heard about the law, and knew that Hermione was eligible, as the only eighteen-year-old of their friends.

"Hi," Ginny greeted, smiling gently.

"Hi," Hermione breathed, sitting beside Ron.

Harry and Ron were obviously studying her as she got her food. She tried to put up a strong, brave expression. Other students were milling about the Hall, but it wasn't very crowded in general. On weekends the cavernous room tended to be significantly less populated.

"You alright?" Harry asked.

Hermione sighed, "I'm okay… been better."

Ginny looked sad.

"Dean said you talked to the Headmaster this morning," Harry muttered.

She nodded, "Yeah. We – ah, we talked about what I'm going to do."

"And?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Hermione shrugged, "They're going to try to find someone from the Order for me to marry. They think it's too dangerous to have me marry anyone else." She tried to sound detached as she explained.

Ginny's face fell, "They won't let you marry who you want?"

Ron was watching her closely. She bit her lip, "Well, Dumbledore said he would ask my opinion on it… But I understand the situation, and it's much safer this way."

"This is bloody outrageous," Ron seethed, shoving a nearby copy of the _Prophet_ away. It slid down the table and then floated off onto the floor. Ron crossed his arms angrily, the tips of his ears a light shade of red.

Hermione felt her chest tighten. Ron obviously had some sort of feelings for her, and to be honest, she had feelings for him. Before today, she had been so hopeful that maybe their friendship was growing into something more. Now this law had ruined everything.

"How did they even get away with it?" Harry asked, looking vexed.

"Dumbledore said that it's because the Death Eaters have their hands in the Ministry," she explained.

Harry clenched his jaw, "He's mentioned that a couple times in our meetings. Said that he's been having to do a lot to make sure the Ministry stops interfering in Hogwarts business."

There was a moment of silence in which Hermione considered the immense amount of responsibilities and problems that Harry was currently dealing with. On top of this stupid law, there was the constant nuisance that was their hunt for Horcruxes, and then the ever-looming war. Hermione had entered her seventh year at Hogwarts with a waning hope that she and her friends would make it through to the end of the year.

"So when is Dumbledore going to figure this out?" Ginny asked anxiously.

"He's told me to come back to his office tonight, and that he'll have someone by then," Hermione murmured gravely. The idea that she would have a fiancée by the end of the night was truly daunting. An ominous silence overtook the four Gryffindors.

* * *

The afternoon passed rather uneventfully. Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry retreated back to the common room, where everyone was heatedly discussing the Marriage Law. Apparently, there were only five other students at Hogwarts that had already turned eighteen and would have to begin their search for spouses. four of them were Purebloods, and would have a month to figure out their marriage planes. Only one other was in Hermione's same situation: Terry Boot. She wondered how Terry was dealing with all of this, but then she remembered that he was dating a Ravenclaw that had graduated just last year. They would surely get married and be quite happy. It seemed that Hermione was the only person at Hogwarts to get stuck in such a horrible situation. Well, at least until more students turned eighteen and had to marry.

Hermione was all too happy to get her mind off of these dark thoughts when Ron asked her to edit his Transfiguration essay. She focused on his essay until it was time to go back to Dumbledore's office. Hermione offered her friends a grim expression as she stepped out of the Common Room, trying to ignore the somber looks they exchanged.

She arrived at Dumbledore's office in only a few minutes. The door opened to reveal Dumbledore sitting at his desk. He smiled kindly, "Welcome, Miss Granger. Please take a seat."

Hermione sat down, and then took a deep breath. She was feeling strangely nauseous at the thought of what she was about to find out.

"Now, I suppose you'll want me to cut right with the chase," the Headmaster said, "I've spoken to someone whom I think is an excellent candidate."

Hermione frowned at the word "candidate". It was like this was a job someone had been selected for. She imagined Dumbledore advertising it like it was a job. _Who wants to babysit the helpless Hermione Granger? _

"Now," Dumbledore sighed, "I know that this is a difficult situation for you to accept, but I think that Remus Lupin would be the best choice. He understands the conditions of this and he's already a Professor here at Hogwarts-"

Hermione wasn't listening to what Professor Dumbledore was saying anymore. Thoughts of Lupin were invading her mind.

_Professor Lupin? Her husband?_

But he was her teacher, and not to mention years older, the same age as Sirius had been! She couldn't imagine being married to him. He was her Professor!

He'd only been her Professor for a few weeks now, having rejoined the Hogwarts Staff to fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Hermione had also suspected that he'd come back to Hogwarts to keep an eye on Harry. Still, he was her _Professor_.

"Miss Granger?" Dumbledore was looking at her, "Is this alright?"

Hermione sputtered for words, "I- I don't understand. He's my Professor. How can I marry a Professor?"

Dumbledore nodded, "I have considered this, and I think that it is a relatively minor setback. There are no explicit statements against situations like this in the Hogwarts regulations. Seeing as you are of age, and considering the fact that this law is so sudden, I am sure that the Ministry won't restrict you from marrying Remus because he is your teacher. However, I do think that for propriety's sake we will need to withdraw you from the roster of your Defense Against the Dark Arts class. You may still attend the class to prepare for your NEWTs, but I don't think it would be wise if Remus was made to continue giving you grades in the class."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, trying to master her shock. She _had_ to be mature about this. It wouldn't be that bad, marrying Lupin. She'd imagined much worse when Dumbledore had told her he'd consider someone from the Order.

"Do you think this arrangement will work, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked, a smile lighting his face in a vaguely suspicious way. "Remus has already agreed."

So Lupin had said that he would marry her. She wondered if Dumbledore had manipulated him into doing it. Certainly Lupin hated the idea of marrying a student, and he was years older than Hermione. Dumbledore was probably forcing him into it.

As much as Hermione wanted to say that no, she wouldn't marry Professor Lupin, this was her only choice. She had to accept it. What else could she do?

Hermione nodded slowly, setting her face into an expression of calm acceptance, "yes, I think this will be fine." She was proud when her voice didn't waiver.

Dumbledore smiled again, "Wonderful. Now, arrangements will be made, and this will be approved by the Ministry, but after that, we must act fast. The law allows a week, so you will be married by next Saturday."

Hermione took a shaky breath. She only had a week…

"Also, this must remain a secret until the marriage is official. If word gets out of your engagement, then our efforts could all fall to pieces. You may tell your close friends, but be careful who you trust with this secret."

"I understand," Hermione murmured, "thank you, Headmaster."

Dumbledore smiled and offered her a lemon drop, which Hermione refused politely. She needed to get out of there and back to her dormitory. The Headmaster explained more about the situation and what would happen in the coming days, then Hermione finally stood to leave. Just as she was about to reach the door, Dumbledore spoke again.

"Miss Granger, I'm sure you know that these are dark times. We all must make sacrifices for the war, and this is first and foremost for your safety. I urge you to view this as an advantage. You will be able to remain at Hogwarts, instead of running from this law."

She said a final thank-you and left the office. Her gut felt heavy with fear and anxiety, her knees wobbly the whole way back to the Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Hermione entered the common room as quietly as possible. The room was full, and she spotted Ron and Harry sitting by the fire where she had left them. She made her way past quietly, not feeling like she could talk to them right now. They could find out in the morning. She went up to her dormitory, happy to find it empty. Lavender and Parvati would have been hounding her about the law had they been there.

Hermione changed into more comfortable clothes and fell onto her bed. It was fair to say that she was emotionally exhausted. So much had happened today and she thought that it could quite possibly take months to think all of this through. She settled on just lying atop of her bed, allowing Crookshanks to curl into her side as she rested.

Her mind didn't quiet, however, and after about fifteen minutes she was still full of thoughts.

It was probably lucky that Ginny entered the room then, for Hermione was relieved to see the girl. She had fostered a very close friendship with Ginny over the years, and at moments like these she really needed an understanding girl to talk to.

"Hey," Ginny greeted, moving towards Hermione's bed. Crookshanks made a sort of grumbling protesting sound, and hopped off the mattress. Ginny got on the bed, leaning against the old wooden bedpost.

"Hi," Hermione said, her eyes not leaving the ceiling. She felt rather dramatic at the moment.

"Do you want to tell me who it is?" Ginny asked gently.

Hermione sighed, "It's Professor Lupin."

She waited for a gasp of incredulity, or a scandalized shriek, but nothing came from Ginny. Hermione pulled her glance from the ceiling to look at her friend. Ginny's eyebrows were raised almost to her hairline, "Really?" she asked.

Hermione nodded, her chest rising and falling slowly.

"That's… well… that's actually better than I expected," Ginny mused.

Hermione gave the redhead a surprised glance, "he's a _Professor_, Ginny."

"But he _is_ kinda handsome, in a rugged older man sorta way. I know you like that kind of thing."

"I can't believe you actually just said that," Hermione stated, almost laughingly.

"Oh, come on, Hermione! You've always had a bit of a thing for older guys…"

"That was _one time,_" Hermione asserted, "and it was only Viktor. He wasn't that much older."

"And you also had your eye on Charlie this summer, don't think I didn't notice that," Ginny sang.

Hermione blushed, but after a moment let out a little giggle. Ginny began giggling as well.

The laughter lapsed out into a solemn silence.

"I have to have sex with him," Hermione uttered, her voice barely a whisper.

"And you're scared," Ginny observed.

Hermione nodded, sitting up, "I've never- what if it's terribly awkward? What if I can't do it right? What if he doesn't like me at all? He probably already resents me for putting him in this position."

"Hermione," Ginny said, putting her hand on Hermione's arm in a calming gesture, "you've got nothing to worry about."

"How do you know that?" Hermione groaned, running her hands through her wild hair.

"I was worried too, but when I finally did it, it was just so amazing," Ginny said dreamily.

Hermione scanned her friend's face, "who did you have sex with?"

"Harry, of course!"

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. She didn't expect that. She thought back through recent interaction between the Harry and Ginny. They _had_ seemed a lot closer lately… but to be honest, she didn't really want to think about Harry having sex. He was like her brother…

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Oh, don't looks so horrified, I'm trying to console you."

"Sorry," Hermione shook her head, letting the images leave her mind.

"Don't worry, I'm going to teach you everything there is to know about sex," Ginny said, a broad smile on her face.

And Ginny did exactly that. A long conversation ensued in which Ginny described her first sexual experience in detail. Hermione got past her initial torrent of blushing and managed to grasp some information that could prove useful in the future. By the end of their conversation, Hermione knew far more about sex than she had when she woke up that morning. It was about an hour before she found herself yawning. Ginny noticed and went to take her leave.

"Ginny?" Hermione said, stopping the girl in her tracks.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you… for this," Hermione murmured.

Ginny gave her a melancholic smile, "No problem."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Review? I'd like to know what people are thinking so far. Also, thanks for all the reviews/follows/favorites for last chapter!

_Coming up next:_ Ginny forces Hermione to talk to Lupin, prompting an exceedingly awkward conversation.


	3. Conversation

Hermione faced Monday morning with a brave determination. She walked with Ginny to breakfast, worrying over the fact that she would have to see Lupin for the first time at breakfast. They arrived to find Harry already at the Gryffindor table.

"Ron's skipping breakfast," Harry informed them. Hermione realized that he must have been angry about the news. She wondered if perhaps he was jealous, but quickly shook the thought from her mind.

Ginny had told Harry and Ron about Lupin the previous night. Hermione was glad that she didn't have to face the reactions of the boys. However, it seemed Harry was already walking on eggshells around her. She knew from experience that when Harry was uncomfortable about something, his discomfort usually didn't lessen for quite awhile.

She ate her toast uninterestedly as her eyes strayed to the Head Table. Lupin was looking down at whatever was in front of him, giving her the opportunity to examine him. Ginny had been right, he wasn't bad looking at all. She had just never really noticed his appearance before.

Suddenly, he turned and looked at Hermione. She immediately bolted her gaze away and looked down, feeling a blush flaming up on her cheeks.

She made sure to not look up at the Head Table for the rest of breakfast.

Potions was her first class of the day. Ron was enrolled in the class, despite the fact that he was nearly failing. When he arrived in the classroom, he didn't even acknowledge Hermione, just claimed the seat beside Harry.

Hermione let out an angry huff of breath and went to sit with Parvati,. Normally, she would hate to have to listen to the constant gossip of her dorm mate, but she was far too irritated with Ron at the moment. Plus, Parvati wasn't nearly as overbearing when Lavender was absent. She spent Potions with the other Gryffindor girl, stubbornly refusing to look in Ron's direction.

The day dragged on, and Hermione found herself greatly relieved that she didn't have Defense Against the Dark Arts on Mondays. She was not ready to face Lupin in a classroom setting, especially after what had happened at breakfast.

Charms was the worst class of the day. Flitwick had allowed them to practice spells in small groups. This made for a situation in which everyone was chatting wildly. Hermione barely heard a word that strayed from the subject of the Marriage Law for the entire class.

She was sitting with Lavender and Parvati, still feeling to stubborn to sit with Harry and Ron. Lavender was talking nonstop about all the marriages and proposals.

"And did you hear about Justin? I saw him and that blonde Slytherin girl walking together!" Lavender gossiped with an enthralled Parvati.

Parvati gasped. "Do you think they'll get engaged?"

"I don't know but it seems that everyone is. Oh, this is so exciting!" Lavender squealed, "I wish I were eighteen already."

Hermione rolled her eyes and focused on her notes.

Soon the attention of the girls strayed to their brunette tablemate. "Hermione, have you been proposed to yet? Oh, it must be so exciting!" Lavender yelped.

Hermione felt her anger boil over. She turned to Lavender briskly, "_That_ is none of your business," she seethed.

Lavender raised a manicured brow, huffed, and then turned away to continued her conversation with Parvati. Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and got back to work.

* * *

After classes ended for the day, Hermione walked with Harry and Ron towards the Common Room to change out of their uniforms. Ron and Hermione still hadn't spoken at all. Harry was being nearly as annoying, acting as if she was a fragile child in this dreadful situation.

Before they could make it to the Common Room, Ginny exited the portrait hole and came storming towards them. "Oh no you don't," she trilled at Hermione, halting the girl in her tracks.

"What?" Hermione charged back.

Ginny grabbed her forearm tightly. "It's time for you to go talk to Lupin. Goodbye, boys!" she sang, dragging Hermione back down the staircase, which was now shifting in its place.

Harry made a bumbling uncomfortable noise, but Hermione didn't look back. Instead, she gave Ginny an irritated glare, "I can't go see Lupin, I have homework to do."

"Oh please, I'm sure you had all your work finished by lunchtime, and even if you don't, it's not going to take very long," the redhead insisted, "You just need to talk to him." They were heading towards where Hermione knew Lupin's office and rooms were located.

"Ginny, I can't," Hermione stuttered, suddenly struck with an immense anxiousness.

Ginny turned and looked at Hermione steadily, "You _can_. Trust me, once you two have had an actual conversation, this all will get a lot easier."

Hermione swallowed dryly, "What am I even supposed to say to him?"

"Just make conversation, be civil with him."

Before Hermione had any more time to protest, they were standing in front of Lupin's office. Ginny knocked, and then swiftly disappeared down the corridor.

Hermione took a deep breath and clenched her clammy palms. There was silence for a moment, and then she heard footsteps, and the door opened.

Lupin stood there, a surprised expression on his face, "Hermione," he puffed, "come in, please." He still wore his teaching robes, which were slightly faded in some spots. She noted that he looked more tired than usual, and it wasn't even close to the full moon. Maybe this whole marriage thing was taking a toll on him as well.

She stepped inside and watched as he glanced outside the doorway, peeking right and left down the corridor before shutting the door. Hermione remembered how all of this was supposed to be a secret. The idea that she was essentially sneaking into a Professors office was strangely exhilarating. She quickly shook her head, pushing that thought away.

His office was the same as it had always been. She noted his neatly lined quills, the parchment rolls that were obviously yet to be graded, and the old tea set that sat on a small table behind his desk. The room was overall neat and tidy. A window was open behind his desk, letting in a gust of Autumn air.

"How are you?" Lupin asked, prompting Hermione to realize that she had been silently inspecting his office for a long moment.

"I'm alright," she replied, meeting his eyes, "And you?"

"Good," he nodded, "I'm good."

She felt the awkwardness seeping between them.

"Would you like some tea?" he questioned, making his way over to the tea set.

She could still feel the dryness in her throat, "yes, please."

He told her to take a seat if she liked and then focused on making the tea. She sat down and watched him for a moment. "I'm glad you came by, I was thinking that we ought to talk," he murmured. She noticed that his voice had quite a soothing aspect to it. The thought made her frown. She couldn't start thinking things like that. It wouldn't do to start developing a crush on him, even if they were to be married.

She cleared her throat, "Yes, it's probably wise that we talk about this."

"Here you are," he said, turning towards her with a steaming cup of tea.

She extended her hand and took the cup, "Thank you, Professor."

He made a noise that sounded almost like a chuckle, "you probably don't have to call me Professor anymore. I think Remus will do. At least outside of class."

She felt a blush rise in her cheeks, "Of course… Remus."

This was all terribly awkward.

"So," He sighed, relaxing into his chair, "are you as irritated as I am with all this talk of the law?"

Hermione sighed, "Oh yes, there is far too much gossip and chatter about it. You should have heard Lavender Brown in Charms today."

"I know the feeling," he laughed softly, "I had to give two detentions because the kids in my fifth year class couldn't stop talking about it.

The corner of Hermione's mouth lifted in a little smile, "I heard that Snape gave out four."

He laughed outright, which lifted her sprits significantly. It was good to know that he wasn't taking this whole situation too harshly.

He was surprisingly good at lessening the awkwardness surrounding their predicament. She enjoyed talking with him like this, however, she had to get down to business. There were some things she had been meaning to talk to him about.

She took a sip of her tea, swallowed, and then opened her mouth hesitantly. "R-Remus," she said, "I don't- I want to know if you're sure about this, about marrying me. I feel like Dumbledore might have put you in a position where you feel like you must do this, and-"

He put up a hand to stop her, "I promise you, Hermione, I'm sure about this, and it's not only for your benefit. You are also helping me avoid the penalties of this law."

She found herself looking down at the teacup in her hand, steam rising in slow wisps from its surface. "I still feel like I'm ruining your life a little," she said, smiling self-deprecatingly.

When she looked up, she found Lupin watching her strangely. "Funny," he said, "I had thought the same thing."

"Well you're definitely not ruining _my_ life," she quipped, biting her lip.

"And you're not ruining mine," he smiled a little, "besides," He leaned back in his chair, "Werewolves have generally a lot more rights when married to non-werewolves, as opposed to being married to another werewolf, or not being married at all."

She furrowed her brow, "but I'm a Muggleborn."

"That doesn't really matter in this respect," he shrugged, "still gives me a few more political rights."

"Good," she muttered, sipping her tea.

After a pause in which the silence stretched to a bit of an awkward length, Lupin spoke again. "I suppose I should let you know," he began gruffly, "I've spoken to Professor Dumbledore about what the- ah, arrangements will be."

Hermione's eyebrows pulled together, "Arrangements?"

"Well," He exhaled, "The law states that we're supposed to live together, and once word gets out to the school, other students will likely question the legitimacy of the marriage if you continued to stay in your dormitory."

"Oh," she croaked.

"So, Albus and I talked about you staying here," He stated, running a hand through his hair uncomfortably.

She hadn't thought about this. _Living with him_… it was a whole other dimension of her life that the Marriage Law was altering.

He smiled self-deprecatingly, "I know it's not the best situation, but I can promise that it won't be too terrible to live with me… I guarantee that I'll stay out of your way."

Hermione shook her head, "I should be the one promising to stay out of your way," she chewed her lower lip, "I feel terrible that I'm invading so much of your life."

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, I really don't mind all that much. Besides, these rooms have always been a little bit big for me," Lupin motioned to a door behind him, which she guessed led to his quarters. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The idea of living in a teacher's quarters sounded so wrong.

Hermione didn't know what to say next. She sat silently and sipped her tea.

"Don't worry about it too much," he offered, examining her closely, "It'll all blow over soon enough."

"Hopefully," she remarked.

"And then things will be back to normal," he continued, "except for the fact that you'll have a Werewolf Professor as a husband."

She chuckled lightly, "I'm sure the press would love to get their hands on _that_ headline."

"Oh, I'd love to see them try and wrap their heads around it. What a scandal," he mused.

Hermione's face fell. She could feel the anxiousness rise up in her chest again. The problem was that this _would_ be a scandal, and a terrible one at that. The worst part was that she was going to have to pretend that all of it was real.

"I probably ought to go," she murmured after another silence, "I have some homework to do."

He gave her a strange, steady look. "Alright. Goodbye, Hermione."

"Bye Remus," she echoed, exiting his office and quickly moving down the corridor.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! I think you'll see that things start picking up now, and soon we can really get into the development of the marriage (and their relationship).

_Coming up next_: We find out the meaning behind that strange locket Dumbledore used. Also, Hermione and Remus have a bit of a moment together…


	4. A Proposal of Sorts

"Explain yourself."

There was a pause before Albus smiled genially. "I must admit that I don't know what you're talking about, Minerva."

The Gryffindor Head of House crossed her arms; "you have to tell me eventually."

"And what exactly would you like me to tell you?" He asked, picking a lemon drop out of the bowl on his desk.

"Why were you so adamant on Remus? You've been very suspicious, and I still haven't heard a valid explanation as to why all of the Weasleys were ruled out." She pursed her lips, eyeing the Headmaster sternly.

Albus sighed, "I told you, it's simply easier for Miss Granger to marry Remus. He lives here on Hogwarts Grounds."

"But he's her professor," Minerva interrupted, "That's a fairly big obstacle. I personally think it would be much easier to have her marry one of the Weasley twins." To be honest, she didn't really think that Hermione could get along very well with either Fred or George Weasley, but that plan did seem much sounder that the one involving Remus.

He smiled, shaking his head, "Come along, Minerva, I have something I would like to show you."

Minerva followed him to the back of his office, where he kept the strangest group of trinkets and artifacts. She watched as he located and removed a small golden locket from one shelf.

"A friend gave this to me many years ago," the old wizard explained, "at the time it appeared to be cheap and dysfunctional, but to my surprise, it works quite well."

He handed the piece of jewelry to Minerva. "What is it?" She asked suspiciously.

"There are many names," Albus sighed, "however, it is most commonly referred to as a Compatibility Pendant."

Minerva's eyes shot up at him, "You didn't…" she murmured gravely.

Albus smiled, "I did, and it seems that Miss Granger has quite a good match right here at Hogwarts."

Minerva shook her head in denial, looked at the locket. Quietly, she spoke Hermione's name. The girl's face appeared, and beside it, that of Remus Lupin. Minerva waited a moment and tried the same process starting with Remus' name. Sure enough, Hermione Granger appeared beside him.

"How can you be sure that this isn't faulty?" she asked Albus sternly.

"The magic within it is strong, and it has created long lasting relationships out of every couple it has influenced in the past."

Minerva inspected him and the locket for a moment. The man's meddling ways were sometimes all too irritating. "Minerva McGonagall," she spoke, examining the locket.

Albus clasped his hands together and she could feel him watching the opposite side of the pendant. After a moment, the face of a young man appeared.

"Richard," Minerva whispered forlornly. Albus gave her a questioning look. She swallowed, "He's been dead for many years now."

"I'm sorry," Albus said quietly.

Minerva shook her head, "But surely there isn't only one perfectly compatible person for everyone. How can this only choose one person? How can it be possible that the one person it says for Hermione is someone she already knows? There are far too many people in the world for the odds to be that lucky."

Albus nodded, "It doesn't only have one match for every person. It simply picks a realistic, highly compatible relationship, as long as both members have not invested deep feelings in another person, and if both members already know or will know each other at some point in the near future. Therefore, it may suggest someone like Remus for Miss Granger, and Miss Granger for Remus."

Minerva took a moment to contemplate this information. "You are far too meddlesome, Albus," she concluded.

He didn't say anything, just put the locket back on the shelf. Minerva left his office with a slight smile on her face, despite her irritation with Albus. She knew that Hermione and Remus could make a wonderful couple, but she still worried that maybe a falsified marriage wasn't the best place for a new relationship to grow.

* * *

The week was dragging on, and Hermione found herself more and more nervous for the coming wedding every day.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts on Tuesday, she had tried her hardest not to make any awkward eye contact with Lupin. However, sitting next to Harry and Ron had made this terribly difficult. Ron was glaring at Lupin throughout class, while Harry just stared, and then jumped back to the parchment in front of him whenever Lupin looked their way. Hermione kept telling herself that she only had to make it through a few more days of this, and then things would go back to some sort of normalcy with the boys.

There was a tremendous flurry about the marriages around school. Hermione noted with annoyance that on the whole of Tuesday, she had not gone one hour without hearing at least one whisper of marriages or the law. On top of this, the _Prophet_ had taken up reporting on every high-class or scandalous marriage that was being arranged. This frightened Hermione. She prayed that the _Prophet _wouldn't report on her and Lupin when the word got out.

On Wednesday evening, she was called into Dumbledore's office to sign the papers for the wedding. While she walked to the Headmaster's office, she couldn't even bother to chide some Slytherin Third Years that were goofing off.

She felt vaguely sick when she entered Dumbledore's office. There were papers set about the desk. Dumbledore sat with Lupin across from him, and an extra armchair to Lupin's left. He turned around when she entered, giving her a weak smile.

She mustered her courage and sat in the chair beside him. Folding her hands together in a nervous manner.

"Now that both of you are here, we may begin," Dumbledore said, arranging papers in front of him. Over his left shoulder, Fawkes let out a soft squawk.

Dumbledore began to explain what they were about to do. He had some sort of proposal documents in front of him, which they would sign, and then Snape would be taking to the Ministry. There, the contact would get the engagement approved, and they would be set for the wedding.

Hermione sat very still in her chair, trying to focus on keeping herself calm. She just kept telling herself that none of this really mattered. Even if the marriage was permanent until the Ministry approved a divorce, it wasn't going to change things all that much.

"Now," Dumbledore folded his hands, "I think we are ready to sign."

Hermione's stomach dropped. She chanced a look at Lupin beside her and noted his stiff expression. As he leaned forward and picked up a quill she considered that perhaps she ought to start thinking of him as Remus instead of just Lupin. He was going to be her husband after all…

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore called her out of her thoughts. He extended a quill to her. She took it in her hand and felt the magic tingle against the tips of her fingers. Magical quills were often used in any sort of contractual or official documentation process. She had never used one before…

With a deep breath, Hermione brought the quill down to the paper, and scrawled out her shaky signature. She watched as a slight glisten of magic coasted over the ink, effectively binding her into the engagement.

She heard Remus let out a sigh from beside her. She looked at him and he smiled solemnly.

"Alright," Dumbledore murmured, "this will be taken to the Ministry as soon as Severus arrives. But for now, I must inform the two of you of a few other details of this operation."

Hermione and Remus nodded.

Dumbledore continued, "The news of this marriage will likely get out, but hopefully we will have the Marriage contract completely processed before that point. Only a few people know about this arrangement. Hermione, I am sure you have told Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, and most Order members know as well."

Hermione blanched. She hadn't thought that the Order would hear about this so soon… They had probably freaked out when they heard the news… she couldn't imagine what Mrs. Weasley's reaction would have been.

"I know that the both of you want this to be a quiet operation. Molly Weasley has been asking me if she can attend the wedding"

Hermione frowned. She could see Remus shift uncomfortably to her right. She understood his trepidation, Mrs. Weasley tended to be terribly protective of Ron's friends. She wondered what the woman thought of Remus now.

"I told Molly that it would be best if nobody attended the wedding unless absolutely necessary," Dumbledore explained.

Hermione let out a small breath of relief. She didn't think she could bear to have to talk to Mrs. Weasley about this. "Thank you, Professor."

Dumbledore smiled amicably at Hermione, then looked to Remus. She kept experiencing a strange surmounting suspicion at his behavior about this whole marriage thing.

"Remus, is there anything else you would like to add?" Dumbledore was watching Remus steadily. Hermione turned to look at her now-fiancé.

His expression lit up, "Oh! Yes," he reached into his robes and began rustling around, eventually pulling out a small box.

Hermione's mouth fell open upon realization of what was in that box, "Remus," she chided him gently, feeling more confidence in her ability to speak with him, "You really don't have to do that."

"Nonsense," he waved her off, and stood from his chair, facing her.

Hermione chewed her lip. Well he couldn't really _propose_ now, could he? Perhaps he was just going to give the ring to her?

He reached out a hand to her; she accepted it and he gently pulled her into an upright position. Glancing over at Dumbledore, she saw that the man was smiling quaintly.

"You didn't have to buy this," she said, looking at Remus. She knew that he'd never been one to have an excess of money, and she hated the idea that he would spend so much money on her.

He shook his head, "I didn't, Albus did."

Hermione looked at her Headmaster, who simply nodded, "Consider it a wedding present."

"It's a modest one anyway, and we figured that this marriage ought to look as legitimate as possible, even if we're keeping it a secret for now." He spoke softly while opening the box.

Hermione inhaled, her eyebrows pulling together and her lips curling upwards in a slight smile. He reached for her hand once again, and placed the ring on her finger.

The ring was modest, but she had always quite liked them this way. It had a small ruby on a thin band, and magically adjusted to her finger when he slid it on.

She thought that perhaps she ought to hug him. Wasn't that what people did in these sort of situations?

He inspected the ring on her hand for a moment before looking up, "I think you wear it very elegantly."

She blushed at the strange compliment, and for some reason the whole moment and Remus' actions all became rather charming. He looked quite dashing as well. There was stubble forming on his chin and cheeks after having not shaved in a few days. She felt the oddest inclination to kiss him.

Hermione shook the thought out of her head and moved to hug him instead. "Thank you, Remus."

"Anytime," He breathed, returning the hug politely.

She felt like something important was happening between them, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it.

After a moment, Dumbledore told them they could leave. Hermione exited the office with Remus shortly behind her. "I'll walk you to the Common Room," he offered, "It's on my way."

Hermione blushed and nodded, falling into stride beside him. As they walked, she noticed that she had to move her feet faster to keep up. He was fairly tall, and she was only average height. Therefore, her legs didn't move her quite as fast.

"How are your classes?" He asked. The corridor was quiet except for their footsteps and his voice. Hermione was relieved that there weren't any students around to see the strange couple wandering the corridors.

"Good," She replied, "Potions is difficult, though I think it's because Snape hates me."

Remus chuckled, "I doubt he hates you. He just has trouble being civil towards Gryffindors."

Hermione laughed lightly, shrugging her bag up her shoulder.

"And how do you think I'm doing?" He asked, "Is Defense class up to the standard from your third year?"

She considered the question. He was still a wonderful teacher to have. All the kids had loved him when he had taught during their third year. Now, things weren't very different, aside from the rare snide comment about his lycanthropy.

"You're doing a wonderful job," she confirmed, "I've always enjoyed your class."

He nodded, "Sorry that I won't be able to give you grades anymore, though I daresay that you don't need to be graded at all."

Hermione blushed at the flattery, "I don't mind it. After all, I still get to attend class."

They were closing in on the Common Room. Hermione felt her mood drop. Over the past couple of days, she had hated being in the Common Room, solely because of all of the talk of marriages. The girls in her dormitory had taken to constantly asking her what she was going to do about the law. She couldn't imagine what it would be like now that she was wearing a ring.

She glanced down at her left hand. The ring shone brightly on her finger.

"Well," he exhaled, "I suppose this is where I leave you. Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight," she replied, giving him an awkward smile.

He moved away as the portrait hole opened. Hermione stood and watched him retreat down the corridor for a moment.

"Hermione!" Ginny's voice called through the portrait. She turned to see her friend standing behind her, grinning at the sight of Lupin walking away.

"Hi, Ginny," Hermione sighed, feeling the tiredness seep into her bones as she entered the Common Room. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately…

"How'd it go?" The redhead questioned, leading Hermione over to where Harry and Ron sat.

Hermione plopped down in an armchair, "It was fine. He gave me a ring."

"A ring?" Ginny gasped loudly.

"Shush!" Hermione admonished the girl, "Yes, a ring." She extended her hand discreetly and showed it to Ginny. Harry and Ron looked away from their game of chess and examined the ring. Ron grumbled out something incoherent and stood, leaving the Common Room.

Hermione arched a brow at Ron's behavior.

"Forget him," Ginny waved it off, looking back to the ring, "you have to tell me what happened! Did he actually propose? Why did he walk you back to the Common Room?"

Hermione began to explain the details of the evening, while Ginny continued to ask multitudes of excited questions. It was a long time before Hermione was able to collapse in her bed. However, she found that there wasn't much sleep to be had. She could only really stare at the ring that now sat on her finger, wondering how she was going to get through the rest of this week.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much for the reviews, they made me very happy.

_Coming up next: _Hermione finds herself in the Hospital Wing, and a certain someone comes to visit her.


	5. Wedding Worries

"Just leave me here to die," Hermione wailed dramatically, turning over in bed and stuffing her face into the pillow. Her hair was spread over the pillow and got in her face when she turned. She groaned in annoyance.

She knew that if she were able to see Ginny right now, the girl would be tapping her foot impatiently, with her hands on her hips. "Hermione," she heard Ginny sigh, "it's not going to help if you skip breakfast. That will only make you even more grumpy."

Hermione wallowed in her irritation for a moment, feeling Crookshanks jump up onto her body and settle himself into a ball on the small of her back. Ginny huffed, "I'm going to the Great Hall to find Harry, I better see you down there so you can get something to eat before class."

Hermione nodded mutely into her pillow, hearing Ginny retreat from the dormitory. Luckily Lavender and Parvati were already gone. She had been avoiding them as much as possible lately. However, her evasions hadn't stopped them from seeing the engagement ring. Now all the Gryffindors knew that the great Hermione Granger was engaged, and people were constantly asking her who her mystery fiancé was.

It was Friday. Tomorrow she was getting married, and any time she thought about it she experienced an onset of a terrible headache. The week had been pretty terrible so far. Each day had found Hermione more and more stressed, surmounting to a massive anxiety level.

The worst part was that her upcoming marriage wasn't the only thing she was worried about. There was so much to keep track of: Head Girl duties, worrying about Harry and the strange visions of Voldemort he had been getting lately, the fact that Snape had extended her essay requirements by another four inches, everyone bothering her with questions about who she was engaged to, and on top it all off, there was always the looming war to worry about.

Yes, it was fair to say that she was stressed.

Hermione gently pushed Crookshanks off of her back and rose from the bed, moving to the bathroom. In the mirror, she noted that she had atrocious bags under her eyes. The stress had caused a significant lack of sleep. She was exhausted, and it showed.

With a comb and some spells, Hermione tamed her mass of hair. She proceeded to slowly put on her uniform, grab her bag, and exit the dormitory.

The Great Hall was filled when she arrived, so she slyly made her way over to the Gryffindor table. It wouldn't do to draw any unnecessary attention. People were already talking about her enough behind her back.

Ginny informed Hermione that Harry was still sleeping. "He had a late meeting with Dumbledore last night. Ron said he didn't get back until nearly eleven, and then he had to do his homework."

"That sounds terrible," Hermione fretted.

Harry was very stressed these days as well, mostly due to the whole Horcruxe situation. He'd started up his meetings with Dumbledore in the beginning of the term, and relayed most of the information to Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. Hermione knew that Harry and Dumbledore weren't making much progress locating the Horcruxes, and it worried the boy. What if they didn't destroy the Horcruxes in time?

Soon breakfast ended. Hermione said goodbye to Ginny and rushed off to class.

In Arithmancy, she couldn't even remotely concentrate on Professor Sinstra's lecture. Her mind was filled with thoughts of the wedding tomorrow and worries about Harry.

Lunchtime found Hermione in the library, not wanting to be around the general student body if she didn't have to. After that, she rushed off to Potions, hoping that Snape wasn't in a particularly malicious mood..

She rounded the corner to the Dungeons, checking her bag to make sure she had the essay that she had to turn in.

"_No_," she whispered, digging her heels into the stone floor. Her essay wasn't in her bag. "_No_," Hermione repeated to herself, frantically shifting things around in her bag to look for it.

After a thorough search, she finally closed her eyes in anger, realizing that she had left the essay in the library. She still had a moment until class began, but she had to go back and get her essay, which would undoubtedly make her late for class.

Hermione almost sprinted back through the corridors, racing into the library and grabbing her essay off the table. "_Stupid_," she admonished herself, charging back out of the library. She was definitely going to be late now…

On the way back to the Dungeons, the corridors were empty, signifying that class had started. As she rapidly made her way down a rather dark staircase, her foot slipped.

She knew what was going to happen the second it began. Her feet couldn't find the ground in time, and she fell backwards, her bag falling from her arms and crashing down the remaining stairs. With a painful thump, Hermione's head hit the stone of the staircase. She barely had time to yelp in pain before unconscious took over.

* * *

She awoke to the brightness of the Hospital Wing, and a throbbing headache. There were noises around her, and judging from the light coming through the large windows, it was only an hour or two after noon.

Hermione bolted upright when she remembered what she had been doing. She'd fallen on the stairs… now she was experiencing a terrible headache… and somehow she had ended up in the hospital wing…

Looking to her left, Hermione almost jumped at the sight of Remus Lupin, sitting in a chair beside the bed she was in.

"Hi," he murmured, looking embarrassed and concerned at the same time. His head was tilted in a vaguely sympathizing way.

"What happened?" she asked, rubbing the bump on the back of her head.

"Snape found you passed out at the bottom of a staircase. Apparently one of his students said they heard a crashing sound down the hall." Remus had some parchment in his lap, and a quill beside it. She wondered why he was here…

"Miss Granger!" Another voice came from her right; Hermione noticed that her bed was curtained off from the rest of the Hospital Wing. With her sharp footsteps against the stone floor, Madam Pomfrey entered the little alcove. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips. She looked angry.

"Hello," Hermione greeted the woman meekly, not quite sure why she was being scowled at. She heard Remus chuckle softly behind her, and whipped her head around to scowl at him. He gave her a playful shrug. She rolled her eyes turned back to Madam Pomfrey.

The Matron now had her wand out and was beginning to cast a strange spell over Hermione. She recognized it as a diagnostic spell of some sort. As Pomfrey worked, she began to speak, "You should be taking better care of yourself, Miss Gragner."

Hermione furrowed her brow, "I'm sorry, I don't really know what you mean." Her falling on the staircase had simply been a clumsy accident.

"You're terribly exhausted," Pomfrey explained, "my diagnostic spells show that your energy levels are severely low. You were very close to passing out from exhaustion, plus a lack of a proper meal. When was the last time you had a full night of sleep?"

Hermione chewed her lower lip, and chanced a look over at Remus. She still didn't know why he was here. Pomfrey crossed her arms impatiently. Hermione looked up at the woman, "I've been having trouble sleeping lately… but I'm fine."

"And have you eaten at all today?"

Hermione looked down at her clasped hands, and fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger. She realized that she really hadn't been caring for herself, "I ate some breakfast…" Her voice trailed off. She could feel Remus' eyes on her.

Madam Pomfrey now handed Hermione a potion, "Drink," she ordered, "It will replenish your energy for now, but you need to sleep and eat, Hermione."

She gulped the potion down, "I will, I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey."

The Matron huffed, and bustled off.

Hermione turned to the werewolf sitting beside her, a confused expression on her face. He looked concerned. "How did you know I was here?"

Remus swallowed, "Ginny Weasley actually came to me after her class today. She told me she was concerned about you, and that she heard from Harry that you were in the Hospital Wing."

Of course Ginny would be the one to relay this to Remus. It wasn't like Harry or Ron dared approach him now that he was their best friend's fiancé.

Remus continued, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, and that I didn't say or do something to freak you out." He chuckled, "I thought maybe you were trying to get yourself concussed, so you didn't have to go through the wedding."

Hermione realized that through his smile, he was actually legitimately worried. "It's nothing you did, and I'm definitely not trying to get out of the wedding," she said sternly.

He nodded, glancing down at the parchment in his lap.

"What are those?" she questioned, taking a glass of water that Madam Pomfrey had just re-entered with.

"Just some essays from my fourth years."

There was silence between them until Madam Pomfrey exited again.

"So why are you so stressed?" He asked cautiously.

Hermione bit her lower lip, shrugging lightly, "There's been a lot to deal with lately."

He nodded, urging her on.

She took a deep breath; "I've barely spoken to Harry or Ron all week, that's probably one of the worst things going on right now. On top of that, I'm seriously falling behind on my schoolwork," She paused, noticing Remus' amused expression, "What?" she questioned sharply.

He shook his head, smiling, "I just can't seem to picture you falling behind on any sort of schoolwork."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but conceded, "Okay, I'm not really behind, I'm just behind for _my_ standards."

"Well," he exhaled, "It seems like some of your problems are about to be solved. Looks like you've got some visitors." He pointed past the curtain and towards the entrance to the Hospital Wing. Hermione leaned forward to get a clear view, and saw Harry and Ron talking to Madam Pomfrey. Her lips pulled into a small smile.

"I should go," he said, standing from his chair and collecting his parchment and quill.

She wanted to tell him that he didn't have to go, and that she had actually enjoyed his company, but she didn't. He probably had other work to do anyways. "Alright," she murmured.

Harry and Ron were approaching. Remus looked at her intently, "Don't worry, this will all blow over soon enough."

She nodded and gave him a weak smile as he left. Just as he passed the curtain, Ron and Harry entered the little alcove. The two boys looked bewildered to see Remus, and turned to watch as he walked past them.

"Hi," Hermione greeted them softly. She was happy to see the boys, especially Ron, whom she had barely talked to all week.

"How are you?" Harry asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. Ron took the chair that Remus had just been sitting in.

She shrugged, "I'm alright, I was just stressed… and then falling down some stairs didn't help my condition."

Harry chuckled, "Well, we wanted to apologize."

Hermione was sure her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline, "Apologize?"

"Yeah, um… I think I need to apologize more than Harry does," Ron grumbled, the tips of his ears growing red.

Hermione nodded, feeling affection for her friends bloom in her chest.

"So I- I'm sorry," Ron said, meeting her eyes, "I guess I was just mad that you have to go through this marriage thing and neither of us could help you."

Hermione lunged forward and grabbed Ron in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Er, no problem," Ron stammered, pulling away and looking at the ground.

"I want to apologize too," Harry spoke up, "I've been distracted lately and I think that I should have tried to help you more."

"Oh Harry," she waved him off, "You've done nothing wrong, and you've not neglected me at all." She could never really blame him for being distracted, especially when he was going through so much.

The trio lapsed into silence for a moment before Harry cracked a grin. "Did you hear about what happened to Cormac McLaggen at Quidditch tryouts?"

"What?" Hermione questioned warily.

Harry dove into a story of the boy's latest antics, which this time involved him trying to fly over to the stands and kiss some Hufflepuff girl, and of course, crashing into the poor girl and giving her a concussion.

In the back of the Hospital Wing, on a Friday afternoon, Hermione laughed with the boys for the first time in what felt like forever. She was reminded of how valuable the boys were. If she had one goal with this whole marriage thing, it was to not lose her friendship with Harry and Ron.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Review if you'd like. I don't mind just a simple, short review so I know you exist. I'd like to know how many people we've got reading. Also, I'd love to hear about anything you guys like/dislike/want to see in this story.

_Coming up next:_ Get ready because here comes the wedding! And you know what happens _after_ the wedding… *cue suggestive eyebrow waggling*


	6. Vows

With a groan, Hermione opened her eyes to sunlight. She felt blissful in the autumn morning for just a moment, then she remembered that it was Saturday.

_I'm getting married today._

She felt like she was going to vomit. With stiffness in her neck from sleeping poorly, Hermione sat up in bed, feeling a little queasy.

Crookshanks was curled in a ball at the end of her bed. His squished up face watched her lazily.

"Oh, Crooks," she sighed, reaching to scratch him behind the ears, "You're so lucky that you don't have responsibilities. You don't have to deal with weddings and… forced marriages."

The half-Kneazle made a noise somewhere between a purr and a grunt and closed his eyes.

Hermione had been about to retread back under her covers when a knock came at the door to her dormitory. Ginny popped through a moment later, looking around, "Good, Lavender and Parvati aren't here." Ginny stepped inside.

"What's going on?" Hermione questioned warily, rubbing her eyes.

"It's a special day!" Ginny gushed, "I just want to make sure you'll be ready for tonight."

"And…?" Hermione urged the girl on.

"I'm going to help you get ready," Ginny grinned excitedly.

Hermione nodded and swung her legs over the side of the bed, "Well, I'm going to go take a bath, and _then_ you can help me get ready."

"Fine," Ginny said, still smiling, "I'll be back in a little bit." With that, she dashed back down to the Common Room.

Hermione drew herself a bath. The water was hot, and she hissed slightly when she stepped in. She sunk down, finding that the warmth soothed her muscles, but not her nervous jitters.

"I'm getting married today," she said aloud to the empty bathroom. Her chin was just above the water level, her knees poked out in front of her.

Her brain didn't seem to want to shut up. It kept straying to worries about marriage and sex and taking away Remus' freedom. With a frustrated sigh, Hermione sunk even lower, dunking her head beneath the clear water. She held her breath for twenty seconds, counting out each number in her mind, before coming back up for air.

Back above the water, Hermione reached for the soap. As she washed herself, she wondered what Remus would think of her. _They had to have sex_. Sure, she found him attractive, but that didn't quite matter. It all really came down to him. Her biggest worry was that he wouldn't be attracted to her at all.

She examined herself; from her wiry legs to her wild mane of hair. Getting out of the bath, Hermione spelled herself dry and then stood in front of the mirror, examining her hair and her breasts and her hips.

_Would Remus like her at all?_

Her stomach kept dropping out when she imagined what it would be like when the wedding was over. The law stated that they had to do it within six hours of the wedding ceremony, and once a fortnight after that. What if it was terribly awkward?

"_It doesn't matter, Hermione_," she told herself, putting some clothes, "_You're eighteen years old, you're ready for sex."_

Ginny was sitting on Hermione's bed reading a magazine when she stepped back into the dormitory. "Hi," Hermione exhaled.

"Hey," Ginny replied cheerily, looking up from the magazine. Hermione saw _Witch Weekly_ emblazoned on the cover.

"Not to be rude," Hermione began, moving to open her trunk, "but don't you have something to do?"

"Nope," Ginny replied, flipping the magazine down on the bed, "my day is devoted to you."

"Well, there's nothing all that interesting that I'll be doing," Hermione sighed, examining the room, "I suppose I just need to pack my stuff."

Ginny's face fell, "I forgot that you won't be sleeping here anymore."

Hermione shrugged, "I'll still be spending time in the Common Room as much as possible. I only really need to sleep in Remus' room. To be honest, I think moving out of here is the _least_ of my worries…"

* * *

Ginny helped Hermione pack until lunchtime, then the two went to eat with Harry and Ron. The conversation was filled with awkward pauses and glances up at Remus. Hermione looked up about halfway through the meal and caught him looking at her from the staff table. He smiled gently and returned to his meal. Hermione watched him for a long moment after he looked away.

After lunch, Hermione returned to the dormitory while Harry and Ginny went off for a walk by the lake. A couple hours passed by before Ginny returned, "Hermione," she called, entering the dormitory, "time to get ready!"

Hermione bit back a "_Thanks mum"_ and closed her book to look at Ginny. "I've still got at least an hour or two," she said, wondering why the girl thought that getting ready for a casual wedding –they had agreed on no dresses or fancy robes – had to take so long.

"This will take awhile," Ginny explained, "we've got to talk strategy!" the redhead paused, her expression lighting up, "and we need to figure out what knickers you're going to wear!"

Hermione groaned.

* * *

When the evening approached, Hermione felt that her anxiety had reached the peak of it's steady incline. Ginny had prepared her well, but she still felt nervous, especially since Ginny's comments about sex ranged from "It'll probably hurt," to "I can't imagine how hot it will be to shag a professor!"

Ginny had also transfigured Hermione's plain bra and knickers into white lacy things. Hermione put them on with some discomfort, but admitted that she didn't look too bad in them. Ginny squealed over how pretty Hermione looked, but she didn't really see anything different about herself.

Surprisingly, Professor McGonagall arrived at the Common Room to pick her up. Hermione was confused as to why McGonagall had to walk her to Dumbledore's office, but then it dawned on her: they thought she was going to run.

It was a fair precaution to take. To be honest, Hermione had considered running away from all of this, maybe going off to Australia to find her parents. But she would never follow through on such an idea. She would never dream of doing that to Harry.

"See you guys later," Hermione said wearily to Harry and Ron, who had been waiting for her to leave. Ron looked at her in a sad, resigned way that made her heart ache. Just a week ago he had been the boy she thought she would end up with. It was so strange how things had changed.

"Shall we go, Miss Granger?" McGonagall queried.

"Of course," Hermione nodding resolutely. Ginny gave her a sly thumbs-up as she exited through the portrait hole.

There were some students in the corridors, but most were spending their evening outside, enjoying their last days of warm weather. Hermione walked silently next to her teacher, thinking about the fact that she was wearing lacy knickers under her jeans, and that Remus Lupin was going to see them by the end of the night. Her stomach felt like lead.

As the pair arrived outside Dumbledore's office, McGonagall turned to the young witch beside her. "Now Hermione," the Professor began, "I'm sure you're aware that this… ceremony is going to involve some acting. There's a Ministry Official in there, and if he thinks that the marriage is fake, he could very well just void it."

"I understand," Hermione affirmed, setting her face in a straight line.

McGonagall smiled sadly at her student.

"I'll be okay, Professor," she murmured, a brave look on her face.

"Of course you will be," McGonagall assured, "Now, shall we proceed?"

Hermione nodded, took a deep breath, and fell into step behind McGonagall.

* * *

Remus folded his hands in front of himself, needing to do something about his restlessness. He could hear the Gargoyle spinning, and footsteps coming up the stairs. Dumbledore stood in front of him, with a man from the Ministry whose name he had forgotten. Remus hadn't been able to concentrate on anything all day.

The door opened behind him, and Remus turned to look as Minerva entered, followed by Hermione. His first thought was that she looked rather fetching, but he pushed that away from his mind, and instead smiled at her. He needn't have another reason to feel worse and more lecherous about this growing relationship with her.

Hermione stepped forward, and Remus chanced a look at Albus, whose expression seemed to be saying something along the lines of, "get on with the acting."

Remus looked back to the witch, his fiancée, and outstretched his arms. Awkwardly, she hugged him in return, letting him place a kiss on the top of her head and whisper, "Hello, love," just loud enough for the room to hear.

When she pulled back from the hug she was blushing, and he wondered if perhaps he had gone too far with the acting, but another glance at Albus told him otherwise.

The Ministry Official greeted Hermione, stating that his name was Elban Dabney. He was a short, plump man with a content grin. Remus decided that the man had officiated far too many marriages in his lifetime.

"Thank you for what you're doing, Mr. Dabney," Hermione said sweetly, "We really appreciate you coming all the way to Hogwarts for us." Remus watched the girl. She wasn't that bad of an actor.

"Ah, it was no trouble," Dabney assured, "And Albus here is an old friend of mine," he motioned toward the Headmaster.

After a few more moments of small talk, Albus urged Dabney to begin the ceremony. Remus watched out of the corner of his eye as Hermione took a deep breath, almost betraying her calm exterior. He knew she was nervous, and felt bad at the thought that he was partly the reason for all her anxiety. He had absolutely hated seeing her so downtrodden in the hospital wing the previous day.

"Alright, lets begin," Dabney exclaimed, leading into an explanation of the magical ceremony he was about to perform.

Remus could still vividly remember most of the magical weddings he had attended when he was younger, especially James and Lily's. Theirs had been the best of any in his youth. He remembered the binding ceremony the most; the way they grinned at each other and the laughter that broke out when Sirius catcalled as they kissed. Remus sighed.

"Now, Albus has told me that we will be making this a shorter ceremony today, so I've cut down some of the more menial aspects of the procedure. We'll begin with the binding, alright?" The man trilled, enchanting a small, arcane book to float in front of him. Out of it fell a ribbon, white and flickering with magic.

Remus held up his left hand, and after a moment, Hermione did as well. He realized that the first magical wedding she had probably ever seen was Bill and Fleur's over the summer. She probably wasn't very familiar with the procedures.

Dabney explained the process in detail, but Remus didn't pay much attention. He couldn't quite concentrate, and he kept bringing himself back to memories of James and Lily and their wedding. This left him with a hallow sort of feeling that tended to catch him when he thought of them.

"Now," Dabney exhaled, "Join hands, please."

Remus grasped Hermione's small hand in his, watching her closely. She looked nervous and a little pale. They met eyes and gave her a small nod, trying to show her that she was doing well.

Dabney slowly levitated the ribbon so that it wrapped around their joined hands. As it set in place, a small glow of magic picked up, illuminating the ribbon. Hermione was watching intensely. He could tell that she was fascinated by the magic before her.

Dabney began his eloquent, rehearsed wedding speech, reading from the book in front of him. Remus listened, waiting for his vows. He said "I do" when it was his turn, and watched as she did the same, a brave look on her face.

Remus glanced over to Albus, who was now standing beside Minerva. They both looked intently focused on the ceremony.

Next, Dabney rattled off the magical binding words. Remus watched as Hermione focused on what the man was saying, her brow furrowing with the last sentence. He recognized that look of academic intrigue as something he had seen many times in his classroom.

That probably wasn't a thought he should have been pondering on. He really needed to let go of the fact that she was his student.

"I bind you, Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger, to a life of love, prosperity, and support. With this spell, you are binded."

His wand flicked ever so slightly, and the ribbon around their hands lit brilliantly. Hermione's eyes grew wide, and even Remus had to appreciate the magic. It hadn't seemed this beautiful when James and Lily had gotten married.

Streaks of brilliant white swirled around their joined hands. Remus felt the prickle of magic on his skin, moving up his arm in waves of intensity. The magic glowed and shimmered, and when it ceased, the ribbon was gone. He peeked up at Hermione; she looked more or less awed.

Their hands fell unclasped, and Remus examined the wedding band that had appeared on his ring finger, still illuminated slightly by magic. The Ministry had been supplying charmed wedding bands for a long time. Hermione now wore a similar, more feminine one in addition to her engagement ring. For a moment, he was suspicious of what kind of magic the Ministry had set on these rings, but shook it off. Surely Dumbledore had thought everything through.

Dabney cleared his throat, and Remus was drawn from his thoughts. The man coughed, and motioned towards Hermione. Remus belatedly realized he was supposed to kiss her. He'd forgotten that Wizarding marriages didn't have the classic "You may now kiss the bride" phrase.

Hermione was looking at him expectantly, as if urging him on. Her eyes danced with a strange sort of excitement, so different from her previous anxiety. Remus was relieved at this. He had been thinking that she wouldn't want to kiss him at all, but here she was, looking enthusiastic.

Remus leaned forward, his throat tightening somewhat, and placed a tentative hand on the side of her face. He looked into her eyes for a moment, searching them for any sort of trepidation.

Suddenly, she took initiative, and leaned into his lips.

The kiss was chaste and quick, but Remus found that he was delighted by the way she grinned at him, and the way her lips had felt on his. He knew that she was acting, and that's why she looked so happy. He also knew that he shouldn't have enjoyed kissing her that much, but he couldn't resist the thoughts.

She was… invigorating. He wanted to kiss her again. Perhaps it was the wolf making him so impulsive. Without much thought, he leaned in once more and kissed her swiftly, perhaps with a little less innocence than she had kissed him. One of her hands instinctually moved to his shoulder, resting there for just a moment. He could feel the heat through his shirt.

Remus pulled away feeling guilty and embarrassed for his actions. However, her apparent delight quelled his nerves. Still, he didn't dare look up at Albus or Minerva.

"Wonderful!" Dabney chimed, "You two are quite the picture of happiness."

"Thank you, Mr. Dabney," Hermione said merrily. She reached for Remus' hand and interlaced her fingers in his. She now stood beside him, her shoulder brushing his.

"We greatly appreciate you doing this for us," Remus said, extending his free hand to shake Dabney's.

"Ah, of course, it was a pleasure, but I really must get back to the Ministry now." He glanced at his wristwatch and nodded, turning to his right, "Albus, it was good to see you."

"And yourself," Albus replied, outstretching his strangely blackened hand to shake.

Dabney looked to Hermione and Remus before he left, "As regulation, I must remind you, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin," Remus felt Hermione stiffen a little beside him, "that you have six hours to fulfill the wedding vows."

Remus nodded curtly, and felt Hermione shift beside him.

Dabney departed through the floo. The Headmaster's office was filled with an awkward silence. Remus didn't drop Hermione's hand, and found himself relieved that she didn't drop his.

Dumbledore broke the silence, clasping his hands together, "That went very well, thank you both for your cooperation."

Remus didn't think that he could have _not_ cooperated in a situation like this.

"Now," Albus exhaled, "Miss Granger—or, should I say, Mrs. Lupin, your things have been moved to Remus' rooms. I doubt that many students will be out in the corridors, so it should be safe for the two of you to walk there."

Remus saw Hermione nod out of the corner of his eye.

It seemed like Albus was eager to get them on their way. Within a few moments, Minerva hugged Hermione goodbye, and they were walking down a dim, empty corridor to Remus' rooms.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Writing this was more difficult than I initially thought, but not to worry, I made it through. Also, sorry that I had to cut it off there, but I wanted to post this chapter now. Not to worry, you'll get your wedding night very soon.

_Coming up Next_: I suspect you know _exactly_ what's up next…


	7. Only By The Night

Just want to warn you: this chapter gets smutty…

* * *

It was fair to say that Hermione was incredibly anxious. Her palms were clammy and her stomach was flipping about. Plus, she kept glancing around every corner they turned, checking for students.

"You alright?" Remus asked. He was walking beside her, his hands in his pockets.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, her trill voice betraying the calm exterior she was trying to put up.

They were closing in on his rooms. She could see the doorway only a few feet ahead. "It's okay to be nervous," he said softly, turning his head to glance at her.

Now they were standing outside the door to his office. Hermione stopped and turned to face him. She took a deep breath and spoke, "I'm a virgin."

Remus' eyebrows shot up. She didn't know if it was surprise at what she had said or the fact that she had said it. He swallowed, and she could see his Adam's apple bob, "I- ah- I figured that would be the case."

A terribly heated blush filled her cheeks.

"Come on," he murmured, opening the door and then leading them through another door, into his private quarters.

Upon entering, Hermione first noticed that her trunk was by the door, and that Crookshanks was curled up in front of the fireplace. She smiled, happy to have her beloved familiar with her.

"Why don't you sit down," Remus offered, pointing towards the couch in front of the fire, "I'll get some tea. Would you like some?" He acted like their awkward exchange hadn't just happened.

She thought that tea sounded excellent, "Please," she croaked out.

He moved to the other side of the room, crossing in front of the fire on his way, noticing Crookshanks' prone form. He studied the creature for a moment before speaking, "I'd forgotten that this was your cat." There was a hint of disdain in his tone, which Hermione knew was the result of their shared summer at Grimmauld Place. Crookshanks had been annoying to every member of the household.

"Don't worry, he'll grow on you," Hermione chimed, her lips curling up in a slight smile.

He sighed and continued off to get them tea, proceeding to the desk that was placed in the corner. It was similar to the desk in his office, but smaller, and seemed to not hold as many papers for grading, or things of that sort. There was a tea set on it, and Remus began to fiddle with it.

While he prepared the tea, Hermione's eyes roamed around the room. There wasn't much decoration, except for a few Gryffindor colored items. There was a window off to her left, which opened up to the wide expanse of night and provided a pretty view of the Black Lake. Behind her, there were two doors: one, which she presumed led to his bedroom, and the other, which likely led to a bathroom.

Hermione's eyes fell on her trunk, and it was now that she noticed a small purple bottle sitting atop her luggage. She got up from the couch and quietly moved to inspect it. Remus was still working on the tea, and didn't notice her movements.

The bottle appeared to be a potion, and had a note tied to it.

_Miss Granger,_

_This is a birth control potion. You must take it prior to your consummation. It is effective for twenty-four hours. In the future, I will provide you with a more potent potion, so you shouldn't have to take one every time. But for now, make sure you drink this._

_Poppy Pomfrey_

Hermione chewed her lip, glancing over at Remus. She quickly uncorked the bottle and lifted it to her lips, gulping it down. It tasted strangely like strawberries, which was a welcome change from the usual abhorrent taste of potions.

With a silent spell, she vanished the empty bottle and moved back to the couch. Remus was just finishing up. She sat down and listened to him levitating the cups over to the couch. He came around the front of the couch with a bottle of what appeared to be Firewhiskey in his hand. Hermione's eyes widened.

He could see her reaction to the bottle in his hand and chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm not trying to get you drunk or anything. Just wondering if you want any in your tea."

"Firewhiskey? _In my tea_?" Her eyebrows pulled in.

He grinned, "I thought maybe a pinch of liquid courage might do us some good." He placed the tea down, then gave her a thoughtful look, "You don't have to have any, of course. I didn't- I don't mean to pressure you or anything."

"_'Liquid courage'_?" she quoted, eyeing the bottle.

He smiled for a moment before a somber look overcame him. "At least that's what Sirius used to call it." There was a darkness in his expression that she hadn't seen in a long time.

Hermione felt her heart pinch. She could see the path he was going down, and knew that she needed to interrupt it. "I'll try a little," she proposed, extending her tea cup to him.

He smiled, and poured just a pinch into her cup, then the same into his. Finally, he levitated the bottle back over to a cupboard next to his desk. The couch dipped slightly as he sat down. She noted that there was a very proper amount of space between them, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she was wishing that he had sat a little closer.

Hermione sipped her tea and noticed the slight bite added to the normal taste. It was a surprisingly good mixture. Remus appeared to be glad that she didn't spit it out in disgust.

"So how big is your alcohol stash?" she asked conversationally.

He chuckled, "you'd be surprised by how little alcohol I have around here. However, in the beginning of the year, Fred and George _did _come around quite often to drop off all sorts of liquor. Merlin knows why."

"I seem to remember them having an impressive stash back at the Burrow," she mused.

"Oh, and do you know this from firsthand experience?" his eyes had lit up with mirth.

"I'll have you know that I've never been drunk before in my life," Hermione said primly.

"I can't say I'm surprised by that," he hummed, sipping his tea, "seems like you kids get into much less trouble than I ever did at Hogwarts."

"You _were_ a trouble maker, then?" she questioned.

"Not particularly, no. However, I tended to get into my fair share of trouble simply because of who I was friends with." He gazed into the fireplace, a fond, yet nostalgic look on his face.

Hermione was happy that they were having such an easy conversation. She wet her lips with her tongue, watching him closely. He was still staring off into the fire, probably reminiscing in some memory. With a discreet glance outside, she noted that the moon had rose and it was getting late.

Her tea was now almost empty. The Firewhiskey hadn't affected her that much, but she felt that "Liquid courage" was an apt phrase, considering what she was about to do, and how prepared she felt to do it.

He still watched the fire as she shifted her body closer to him. Without a chance for hesitation, she moved to kiss him.

Her lips landed on the corner of his mouth. It only lasted for a brief second, and then she pulled back.

He turned to look at her, a deep and thoughtful expression on his face. She was reminded of the two previous kisses they had shared in Dumbledore's office. The idea of him kissing her again made her heart race.

As if answering her prayers, Remus lifted a hand up to slowly cup her cheek, then pull her in. This kiss was one of experience and confidence. She opened her mouth to him quickly, and found that kissing with tongue was not as terrible as it had been with Viktor. She didn't hold anything against Viktor, but he _had_ left something to be desired in the realm of French kissing.

But Remus… he kissed with intimacy and softness. He didn't rush anything at all; just let Hermione slowly become reduced to jelly in his arms.

After a little while, the awkward position was getting to her. She was leaning over the couch, her back twisted in order to face him. She scooted towards him more, and he seemed to realize her discomfort. In one movement he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her so that she was sitting on his lap, straddling him.

Hermione felt like she could squeal at this advance. She couldn't imagine what Ginny would say if she knew what was going on at that moment.

With the new position, his kisses were now fully exhilarating. His hands were on her hips, holding her in place. Her legs were on either side of him, knees folded under, with her arms wound around his neck.

More attention was paid to her bottom lip, and Remus must have figured out that she loved it. He nibbled at her lip in the most pleasing way, prompting her to let out a contented sigh. Hermione's previous nervousness was nearly gone; everything was just filled with a strange sort of excitement, especially when he began to move his hands up and down her sides.

"We should go to my bedroom," Remus said gruffly, pulling back so he could look at her.

The previous nervousness now made an appearance. Hermione tried to resist looking anxious, but he was watching her closely. "Okay," she murmured softly.

Getting off of his lap, Hermione blushed at the position they had just been in. He stood up from the couch next, and took her hand, leading her towards his bedroom.

It was a small room that was rather dark at the moment. Hermione didn't look around much, just focused on the bed and the fact that she was about to have sex with Professor Lupin.

It was all so strange and surreal and… _exciting_.

He turned and looked at her, taking a step closer to study her expression. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Hermione took a deep breath, steadying herself, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I know this isn't how you imagined your first time to be," he let out a sigh, "and I know you didn't plan on doing this with me," he frowned sadly.

She was stuck by how little he thought of himself. How could he believe himself to be so low and undesirable? She could see it in his eyes, and she desperately wanted to express to him how desirable he was. "It doesn't matter," she asserted, stopping him in his tracks, "I want to do this with you… it's exciting."

His expression lightened significantly, and without warning, he leaned down to kiss her again.

Over the course of a few seconds, she found herself closer to the bed. Hermione lifted her knees onto the bed behind her, so that she was kneeling, still tall enough to reach his lips. He stood beside the bed, his hands entangling in her hair, which was probably wild and unmanageably curly.

Acting on impulse, her hands went to the top button of his shirt, which she began to undo. He accepted her advance and continued kissing. It took her awhile to get to the third button because her hands were shaking. She cursed herself for not being able to calm her fidgety fingers. Remus noticed her struggle and stopped kissing her. He grasped his hands in hers, smiling lightly. Then, he proceeded to undo the buttons of his shirt, one by one.

She wanted to prove that she wasn't a nervous, naïve little kid. It was because of this that Hermione decided to pull her jumper off. She relished in the surprised expression that overtook his face.

He finished removing his shirt, and Hermione felt a deep, painful ache in her chest at the sight of all his scars. He was obviously gauging her reaction. "It's easiest to ignore them," he finally muttered, seeming ashamed.

Hermione wanted to tell him that they were not something to be ignored. They looked terribly painful and she felt horrible that he had gone through so many transformations in his life. However, they also made him look rather handsome in a rugged, manly sort of way. She decided to tell him that.

"Handsome?" he repeated after her, a single brow raised.

Hermione grinned shyly and nodded before reaching out to pull him closer.

His hands were more exploratory now, and it left her panting. He skimmed her sides, his fingers brushing over the sides of her breasts through her bra. She reciprocated the teasing by pushing her body up against his. The bare skin of her abdomen met with the bare skin of his in the most delightful way. For a moment, she was inclined to wonder if in the future he would want to do this more than just once a fortnight. It was definitely something Hermione wanted like a repeat of.

He was climbing on the bed now, and she was pulling him on top of her, laying both of them down. It was a marvelous feeling when his lips slipped from her mouth and went to her neck, then her shoulders, then her sternum, then the tops of her breasts. Hermione was breathing shallowly, watching him closely.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice breathy and gruff. His hand tentatively found the clasp of her bra and began to undo it.

"God, yes," she exhaled, arching into his mouth once her breasts were exposed.

His mouth fell to her hard nipples, and that was when she really started moaning. This whole encounter was absolutely better than any fantasy she had ever come up with on her own. It was strange how sexually compatible they seemed. They hadn't even had sex yet, but she just _knew_ it would be fantastic, if not today then at least in the near future.

His hands slipped down to the button of her jeans. He undid them quickly and then began to tug on them. She laughed at his difficulty, realizing that her jeans were probably a little too tight. With a final pull, he removed the thick fabric, taking her knickers with it.

She watched his eyes travel up and down her naked form, and felt a shiver of embarrassment when his eyes rested on the apex of her thighs. She blushed and shifted to close her legs.

His eyes went back up to meet hers. "You've nothing to be embarrassed of," he murmured.

The words sent shivers down her spine. "Neither do you," she whispered the breathy response.

He pulled himself forward, kissing her lips with a new, reckless lust. The idea that she was naked and lying under her Professor made her achingly wet. When she felt his covered erection brush against her thigh she lost in, pushing her hips upwards in a desperate attempt for friction.

He chuckled and moved down from her lips, back to her nipples. Hermione gasped as he licked and bit and sucked. This was absolutely hotter than any fantasy she had ever come up with in her mind.

His hand, which had been gripping her hip, now moved inwards, tracing the line of her pelvis, before finding her center. She let out a little squeak upon realization of what he was doing. Nobody had ever touched her there, but it felt glorious. His hand expertly dipped between her folds, causing her to lose all sense of propriety. Within only a short amount of time she was gasping and arching her back into him lasciviously.

"Mmmm," he groaned, "you're so wet."

His words carried her further towards the edge. "Please, Remus," she wined, needing more friction.

He obliged, moving his hand faster and slipping a finger inside her wet heat. She came gasping his name, her head falling back and her eyes slammed shut.

When she opened her eyes he was pulling off his trousers, looking at her with such intensity that she was all fired up again. He pulled off his boxers, allowing her to get a look at his naked form. He was anatomically larger than she had expected a man to be, and she didn't quite know how this _wasn't_ going to hurt.

Remus moved back on top of her. She kissed him lazily, slowly coming back from her orgasm with renewed vigor. His hand fell back down to her center, dipping a finger inside of her.

She kissed him with the intensity that he had shown her a few moments ago. She could feel his erection brushing against her stomach. It was a little frightening, but very arousing.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his lips on her neck, one hand tracing her nipple while the other went to his erection.

This was it, the moment of truth. A week of stress had led up to this moment, and she was surprised to find that she was more excited than anything. She _wanted_ him.

"Yeah," she breathed, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm ready."

He moved to position himself between her thighs, pulling her legs so that her knees were bent. He looked up to meet her eyes for a long moment, "this might hurt. I'm sorry." Even though his tone was apologetic and cautious she could see the unbridled lust in his eyes.

"Just do it," she said, placing her other hand on his shoulder.

He nodded, kissed her sweetly, and began to move in.

It felt good at first, when he was just edging in, but then the pain came. Hermione screwed her eyes shut, digging her fingers into his shoulders. He moved faster, she figured he was trying to get it over with quickly. It hurt a lot, and she prayed that the discomfort would stop sometime soon.

His movements eventually waned, and the pain dissipated some. Hermione took deep breaths, getting accustomed to the stretch. Finally, she opened her eyes, finding herself staring up at the plain ceiling. Remus' head was buried in the pillow beside hers. She could feel the deep breaths he took in an attempt to control himself.

"Remus," she said, her voice almost a groan, "keep going."

He exhaled and began to move out slowly, and then back in again. Hermione winced with the first few tentative thrusts, but the pain dissipated with time. Soon she began to feel little jolts of pleasure when he rocked within her.

He continued moving, kissing her neck and letting out shallow breaths. A hazy lust started to overcome her pain. She wanted _more_. In a quick movement, Hermione picked up her legs and wrapped them around his waist, hooking her ankles together. He seemed to get the hint and started moving faster.

There was still pain, but Hermione found herself moaning when he drove into her. He moved faster and she urged him on with moans, digging her nails into his shoulders when she felt pain.

Soon it became too much for him, and she could feel his orgasm approaching through his uneven breathing. With several thrusts, their hips connected at a faster, sloppy pace. The pleasure allowed for a flutter of an orgasm to pulse through Hermione, but she couldn't be completely distracted from the pain. Nevertheless, she still threw her head back in the heat of the moment, slamming her eyes shut.

Remus grunted out her name, coming inside of her with one last, shallow thrust. Hermione could feel his face fall back into the pillow next to her head. He was breathing heavily, coming down from his high. She focused on the noise he had made, his groans of pleasure and whisper of her name. The sounds of him losing control were perhaps the most enjoyable part of the whole experience, beside the orgasm part of course.

He pulled away after a long moment, falling with a thump onto the mattress beside her. She realized that her fingernails had left quite a dent in his shoulders, but he seemed to not care.

"Did I hurt you?" Remus asked, turning to look at her with a quickly rising and falling chest.

Hermione shook her head, waving him off lazily.

She stared up at the ceiling, feeling a blush on her cheeks. She had acted quite lustful in the heat of the moment, and knew that she would probably be embarrassed by her actions in the morning. But after all, he had lost himself too, and she had loved it.

"You're sure you're alright?" He asked tentatively.

Hermione smiled at him, warmed by his concern. "I'm wonderful," she yawned, "Tired, but wonderful."

He reached to the bedside table for his wand. With a flick of his wrist, the covers had appeared above the two of them. Hermione smiled and quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Well that was quite long. I hope you enjoyed. The title of this chapter is credited to a Kings of Leon album of the same name.

_Coming up next: _We'll see how these two lovebirds deal with their morning after.


	8. Post-Wedding Bliss?

Hermione awoke very early in the morning. It was still dark outside, but dawn seemed to be approaching. She found herself in a very interesting position, only understanding how she had arrived there after remembering the previous night.

The bed was warm, but the room was a little cold. Hermione had burrowed into the side of Remus' chest, and one of his arms was draped around her waist. She wondered if they had both unconsciously moved into this position as they slept.

They were both still very naked. Her breasts were sort of mashed into the side of his chest, and her legs brushed against his. Hermione smiled and remained where she was, not wanting to move away from him just yet.

The previous night had been much better than she had expected. Hermione's anxiety levels had been at an all time high, but Remus had slowly quelled them away. She had never thought that sex could actually be that _good_, and Remus and her still had to deal with all the awkwardness of being forced together, plus the discomfort she went through with losing her virginity. Hermione wondered if maybe they were just sexually compatible. Ginny had talked about it the other day; how that kind of chemistry was one of the most important things in a relationship.

Hermione yawned and shifted about in bed, realizing that she was rather sore, not to mention tired. Not wanting to wake Remus up, she slowly burrowed herself closer to him and shut her eyes.

* * *

Remus woke up groggily, as was the normal morning routine for him. The only thing that was different about this morning was the fact that there was a naked young witch in his bed, and she appeared to have pulled herself as close to him as humanly possible. He repressed a chuckle and examined her for a moment.

Hermione was fast asleep, pressed up into his side. Her wild hair was now more curly and untamed as ever. It frayed around her face in a sort of halo, and tickled his arm.

Her breath was steady, signifying the deep state of sleep she was in. Remus decided that he probably ought to get up and shower, that would be the easiest way to avoid an awkward start to the morning. Waking up naked together would probably leave her at least a little flustered and embarrassed, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable.

Remus got out of bed and made his way into the attached bathroom. He showered quickly, but still gave himself time to think about what had happened last night. He was very worried about how she felt, and if she was okay with everything that had happened. He had let himself go a little in the heat of the moment, but the instincts of the wolf had come out, and he'd never been very good at calming the wolf within him. When the wolf wanted something, he usually got it; and the wolf had wanted Hermione, very badly.

Remus stepped out of the bathroom to find the bed empty. Proceeding into the sitting area of his rooms, he found Hermione dressed and fiddling with her haphazard hair. She glanced up at him when he entered, and the awkwardness that set in was almost tangible. Remus cringed at Hermione's obvious embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" He asked impulsively, knowing that he had asked this question far too many times.

"I'm fine," she smiled cheerily, "and you?"

He was surprised by her apparent contentment, despite the embarrassment she had just displayed. "Ah- yes, I'm fine as well," he stuttered.

"Good," she grinned. "I'm going to head to the Great Hall now… do you want to come?"

"I'll head over in a few minutes," he murmured, "go ahead without me."

"Okay," she murmured, hesitating for a moment by the door before leaving.

Remus watched the door close behind her. He then glanced at the room around him, which now seemed quite different in the wake of all that they had done the previous night. He spotted her ginger ball of fur curled up in his favorite armchair. The cat seemed to be glaring at him as if it knew everything that had gone on last night, which it probably did.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," Remus huffed, turning away from the incriminating half-Kneazle.

* * *

Hermione put on a calm, collected expression when she entered the Great Hall. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were sitting together at their normal spot at the head table. Harry and Ginny were very close to each other, and Ron seemed significantly uncomfortable by the way they were gazing into each other's eyes.

Hermione sat down, feeling all three pairs of eyes shift to her. She looked up and found three distinct expressions on the faces of her friends. Ginny was beaming excitedly, Ron looked angry, and Harry just looked tremendously uncomfortable.

Before any of the four could speak, their space was cut into by Lavender, sliding into the bench next to Hermione.

"Is that a wedding ring?" Lavender gaped.

Hermione blanched, looking to Ginny for help. Before Giinny could respond, however, Lavender had continued, "Hermione," the blonde gasped, "you've gotten married!"

Hermione's stomach plummeted. Now that Lavender knew about it surely the whole school would. Lavender was the biggest gossip she knew. The girl could _never_ know that Hermione's husband was professor Lupin.

"So who is it?" Lavender questioned giddily.

Luckily, Ginny swooped in with a glare and an assertive, "It's none of your business Lavender."

"Fine," Lavender sighed, "I was just excited for you, Hermione. I can't wait until _I_ can get married." With that, the girl slid back down the table.

"Thanks, Ginny," Hermione muttered, reaching for a muffin.

"No problem," Ginny replied, once again grinning at Hermione knowingly. After a moment, the redhead leaned in, "So, _how are you_?"

"Fine," Hermione replied tightly, giving the girl a look of warning.

Ginny beamed and turned the conversation to the local gossip: apparently one of the Slytherin girls had been dating two boys at once, both of which had proposed. The love triangle was apparently the talk of the school. Hermione was glad for this, because it would probably take the attention off of her and her "mystery husband".

A few moments later, Hermione spotted Remus enter the front of the Hall. He sat beside Snape, who looked the werewolf up and down with disdain. She watched Remus for a few moments before her attention was called back to the conversation.

"We need to talk about my meeting with Dumbledore," Harry said quietly, a sudden seriousness in his demeanor.

"What happened?" Hermione whispered.

"We talked about the visions I've been getting," Harry muttered, "and my connection with Voldemort."

Harry began to explain what he and Dumbledore had discussed. Hermione found it strange how the Headmaster was apparently so cautious and grave when dealing with Harry, yet cheerful and excited when dealing with Hermione and Remus.

Apparently Dumbledore thought that these visions of Voldemort would come in handy. Voldemort was searching for something important, and these visions would let Harry and Dumbledore know how close he was to obtaining said object. Hermione didn't like the idea of allowing this connection to continue, and told Harry so.

"I know," he said, running a hand through his messy hair, "I don't really like it either, but it's important, and Dumbledore knows what he's doing."

Hermione thought Dumbledore had been rather manipulative lately, but withheld the idea from Harry. They had more important things to worry about than Dumbledore's behavior.

After finishing the discussion, Hermione left her friends. She had to go to the library and finish up her homework; but first, she needed a long bath. She was sore and achy, thus a bath in the prefect's bathroom seemed like the perfect idea.

* * *

Hermione returned to Remus' rooms late in the evening. She'd spent most of her day doing work and hanging around the Common Room. Shortly after dinner, she had realized that she had to go back to face Remus eventually.

He was grading papers on the couch in front of the fireplace. His eyes lifted up to her as she entered.

"Hi," she murmured.

"Hi," he replied.

There was a stretch of silence in which Hermione desperately looked for something to say to him.

"You can unpack your clothes if you want to," he said, pointing to her trunk, which still sat near the door.

"Oh, of course," Hermione started toward her trunk.

"There's plenty of room for your things in the closet and dresser, so you should be fine. Do you want me to help?"

Hermione shook her head, "You don't have to, just continue as you were. Pretend I'm not even here."

He smiled wryly as she levitated her trunk into his bedroom.

With the door closed behind her, Hermione was able to really inspect his room. She didn't mean to snoop through his stuff, but he _had_ given her permission to unpack in his closet and dresser.

It seemed that he didn't own much clothing, and she felt a pang in her chest at the sparse amount that inhabited the closet and dresser. She vowed to buy him a brand new set of robes for Christmas.

His room was generally neat. Hermione was quite amused when she found a whole drawer of his bedside table devoted to just Honeyduke's chocolate. She wondered if he might find out if she stole a piece, and ultimately decided to leave his coveted chocolate alone.

"I'm done," she said, entering the sitting area to find Remus in the same place she had left him. He had plenty of papers to grade, and she hoped that she wasn't disturbing him.

He smiled up at her, "you're welcome to grab a book if you'd like."

She noticed the bookshelf, and approached, finding that there were plenty of interesting titles held there. She grabbed a book on Lycanthropy and walked back over to the couch.

"How are you with your schoolwork?" He asked conversationally, watching her sit on the couch beside him.

"Ahead as always," she grinned cheekily, "even in your class."

"Ah, but I thought I had been challenging you."

"You're trying, I'll give you that," Hermione murmured, paging through the book in her lap.

He laughed, throwing his head back in a youthful manner. Hermione couldn't help but smile along with him. She was delighted that they were getting along, despite the awkwardness floating just beneath the surface.

"So how do you like being back teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked.

Remus smiled fondly, "It's wonderful, I'd forgotten why I enjoyed it so much all those years ago."

Hermione watched his expression closely. He seemed happy, despite the fact that he'd just been forced into a binding marriage with an eighteen-year-old student of his.

They lapsed into silence. Hermione began to read the book she had picked up. She could hear Remus' occasional scribbling notes on the papers he was grading. When he wasn't looking, she snuck a few glances at him, unable to just concentrate on the book.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, eyes not leaving the paper in front of him.

Hermione hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I was just thinking: what are we going to do if– _when_ someone finds out about this?"

He sighed deeply, "I think we'll just need to keep up the acting, make people believe that it's all real."

She nodded, "I suppose that's all we can really do."

"Are you worried about people finding out?"

It felt like his question held more weight than it was supposed to. He seemed to be asking if she was worried about people finding out that _he_ was her husband. Remus Lupin, the old werewolf professor as her husband. He probably thought she would be embarrassed of him.

"I don't think I'd mind too terribly, I'd just hate hearing about it from the other girls, what with all their gossip about every single wedding that's taken place. Our marriage is pretty high profile compared to the others, so I doubt we would hear the end of it anytime soon."

He seemed reassured by her answer, but she could still see the underlying concern over what she thought of him. It was just like the previous night, when he had been so shameful of his scars. Hermione decided right then and there that she was going to change the way he looked at himself. He deserved it after everything he'd been through.

Silence filled the room as the two once again continued their separate activities.

* * *

It was at least two hours later when Remus noticed that Hermione had fallen asleep. The book she had chosen was perched precariously on her knee, and her head was propped against the cushions of the couch. He watched her for a few long moments; her chest rose and fell slowly, and her expression was just as peaceful as it had been that morning.

Remus sighed and stood from the couch. He considered waking her up, but decided not to. Instead, he gently picked her up from the couch. She was light in his arms, and didn't stir, just let her head fall back against his chest. He carried her into the bedroom and placed her in bed. She was still sound asleep.

He wanted to give her space and be as proper as possible. Despite their forged intimacy the previous night, Remus was still wary about making her uncomfortable. To be honest, he wasn't brave enough to take the chance and climb into bed next to her.

Remus slowly made his way back into the sitting area, lying on the couch and thinking how brave and accepting she had been. She was so incredibly courageous, and here he was, not even brave enough to sleep beside her in bed.

* * *

_Coming up next: _A bit of a bump in the road…


	9. Exposed

Hermione yawned, stretching her arms above her head and opening her eyes to Remus' bedroom. Or, she supposed it was _her_ bedroom as well now. Looking around, she noted that the bed was empty, and there was no evidence of him having slept there the previous night.

After a quickly cast _Tempus_ charm, Hermione realized that she had twenty minutes before she ought to be at breakfast. She decided that since the bathroom was empty, she would take a shower.

She showered quickly, and then brushed her teeth and hair before dressing for the day. When she exited the bathroom, she found Remus heading her way, obviously trying to get to the bathroom.

Hermione stopped in the doorway, crossing her arms and blocking his path. "Did you sleep on the couch last night?" She questioned suspiciously.

Remus was still partially asleep. He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged, "Yeah. I- ah- I wanted to give you space."

The thought that he had slept on the couch to give her space was both sweet and irritating. Hermione shook her head firmly, "It's your bed. You should be sleeping in it." Without another word, she left the room, headed for breakfast.

* * *

In Charms that afternoon, Hermione found herself very much enjoying Flitwick's lecture on extension charms. She had practiced this over the summer numerous times with her beaded bag, but it was still intriguing to hear the uses. It was when the professor set them loose to practice extension charms that her mood dropped. Lavender and Parvati instantly shifted closer to Hermione, eager to hound her about her mystery husband. This had been happening on and off since they had discovered her marriage. She was lucky none of the teachers knew to call her "Mrs. Lupin" yet.

"So, Hermione, will you tell us who your husband is?" Parvati queried excitedly.

Hermione could feel Ron and Harry's simultaneous glares at the girl, but she waved them off. She could deal with this herself.

"I'm sorry, Parvati, but it's really none of your business," She said firmly, looking down at her notes.

Parvati deflated, but Lavender was persistent, "C'mon, Hermione, you can't expect us to just ignore the fact that you haven't slept in the dormitory the past two nights. We just want to know who the lucky bloke is, and we promise not to tell anyone."

"It's not something I want you to know," she snapped, her voice louder and more assertive, "Dumbledore has allowed me to stay in separate rooms with my husband just like the law requires. That's all there is to it."

Neville, who was sitting at the desk in front of them, turned around with a shocked expression. "You have a _husband_?" He looked vaguely horrified. She cringed at the realization that she hadn't been particularly quiet in her conversation with the girls. Most of the nearby students were staring at her, waiting for somebody to say who her husband was. Hermione buried her head in her hands exasperatedly.

Luckily, Harry and Ron came to the rescue, snapping at people to "Shut up and get back to your charms," as Ron had so eloquently put it. Hermione mouthed a thank-you at Ron and returned to her work. She was so glad that they had been able to make up, even if there was still some anger and awkwardness between them.

That evening, Hermione returned to Remus' rooms and told him how terrible Lavender and Parvati were acting. "Teenage girls are just horrid gossips," she ranted, falling into the couch across from him.

"Ah, I know from experience how terrible seventh year girls can be," he stated with a wry smile, "at least I didn't get roped into marrying one of _those_ girls."

Hermione chuckled, "Oh, yes, and of course you're _so_ lucky to be married to me instead, the school's know-it-all bookworm."

He ignored her slight self-deprecation and smiled charmingly, "and I wouldn't have it any other way."

She was grinning in a silly sort of manner as she retreated to the bedroom to change. They seemed to be on good terms, and she hoped that he wouldn't sleep on the couch again tonight. Luckily, though, she had no need to worry. Several minutes after getting in bed, she heard Remus slip in to the room and climb in beside her. Even though there was an unordinary amount of space between them, she was happy to have him there.

* * *

The week progressed without anything of consequence, at least until Wednesday morning. Hermione had been so delighted with how their relationship was progressing into a sort of friendship, but then it all fell through when their secret was exposed.

She was in breakfast, peacefully skimming her Ancient Runes essay one last time. Suddenly Lavender bustled down the table, leaning between Harry and Ginny, who were sitting across from Hermione, and thrusting a copy of the _Prophet_ down on the table. "Professor Lupin?" She trilled, a shocked but exhilarated expression on her face.

Hermione blanched, looking at Lavender with abject horror. Her eyes traveled down to the _Prophet_, and she noticed the title of the cover story.

**Scrimgeour's Marriage Law Garners A Variety of Scandalous Marriages**

She groaned, knowing that she was surely going to be mentioned in that article at least once. Her marriage was no doubt one of the most scandalous of all. She swallowed dryly and looked to her friends. Ginny and Ron had gone stiff. Harry reached for the paper so he could read it.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked, her voice hoarse.

Harry began to read, a harrowing look on his face. "_A little over a week after the shocking announcement of Scrimgeour's Marriage Law, the Ministry of Magic has released the names of all couples that have been bonded so far. The list includes many shocking and suspicious pairs, including perhaps the most shocking of all: Hermione Granger, Muggleborn best friend to Harry Potter, and her werewolf professor at Hogwarts, Remus Lupin._"

"Oh my god," Hermione whispered, staring at the table in front of her blankly.

"So it's true?" Lavender questioned, annoyingly persistent, "You married Professor Lupin? That's whose rooms you've been sleeping in?"

"Lavender!" Ginny cut in sharply, "now is not the time."

Lavender reluctantly left, moving to sit with the other Gryffindor girls, who were all openly staring at Hermione now. Around the Great Hall, there was a rustling hush of whispers, many of which she was sure were about her.

If Hermione had thought it was bad before, it was nothing compared to when Remus entered the Great Hall. The quiet whispers turned into a dull roar about the room. Remus seemed confused as the eyes drew to him, but comprehension dawned on his face when Snape slid a newspaper over to him. After inspecting the front cover, his eyes lifted to the Gryffindor table, searching for Hermione. They shared a shaken look before Hermione turned away. She ducked her head for the rest of breakfast, focusing on her Transfiguration essay and feeling dreadful.

Transfiguration was their first class on Wednesdays. Hermione was lucky that McGonagall was giving a lecture, which required immense concentration. This took at least some attention off of her.

She considered that Remus was probably having a much worse day. He'd have to go through several classes in which all attention was on him. Unluckily, they had to be together for one of these classes. Hermione, Harry, and Ron had Defense Against the Dark Arts before lunch with the Slytherins and other Gryfindors. She knew it was going to be a potentially disastrous period going in.

Remus began class with a scrawled bunch of important information on the chalkboard. They were studying defensive strategies against the Imperius Curse. Hermione took rigorous notes, even though she already knew the material and would no longer be receiving a grade for this class.

"Um, Professor Lupin?" a quiet feminine voice piped up to the left of the classroom. Hermione turned to see Pansy Parkinson, sitting between Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, her hand raised in the air. Draco was smirking malevolently at Hermione, his Head Boy badge pinned proudly on his chest. Nott was grinning in a similar manner at Lupin.

"Yes, Miss Parkinson?" Remus replied, looking up from his desk.

"I have a question," Pansy stated primly, looking all too sweet and innocent.

Remus nodded for her to continue. Most of the class had looked up from their papers and was now watching the exchange. Hermione met Harry's eyes and saw the weary look he gave her.

"I was just wondering," the Slytherin began, "how is it allowed that your wife is a student in your class?"

There had been some quiet whispering in the back of the room, but it immediately died out into a grave lull of silence. Hermione watched Remus anxiously. His eyes darted to look at her for a split second before moving back to Pansy. He took a deep breath before speaking. "My_ wife_ is no longer a student in this class. She is simply sitting in on my lectures, as Professor Dumbledore has permitted her to do. That is all that we will discuss on the subject. I want you all to focus on your notes."

With that, a whole new round of chalk marks appeared on the board. Remus' angry look prompted most students to return to their scribbling.

Hermione didn't want to give Pansy or the others the satisfaction of looking upset. Inside she was seething with anger and discomfort, but outside, she maintained her cool exterior and worked diligently for the rest of class.

Defense was bad, but Potions was terrible in comparison.

It was the Gryffindors and Slytherins again. Hermione filed into the classroom between Harry and Ron, happy that the boys were around to stand by her. They had been very lucky to be allowed to continue the NEWT level Potions program after Slughorn left. She would hate to face this class without them.

Most of the Slytherins watched Hermione with various amused expressions. The Gryffindors just whispered, probably about what had happened in DADA. She didn't really blame them for talking about it, this was a huge scandal compared to the other stuff that happened around Hogwarts. Her relationship with Remus would be talked about for weeks, maybe even longer.

Snape's entrance silenced the class. He had them begin working on the potion, a basic sleeping draught. Hermione focused on her brewing for a good fifteen minutes before her concentration was interrupted.

"A Mudblood and a Werewolf, how cute," Pansy's quiet voice floated into her ears. Hermione frowned in anger, but didn't give her the satisfaction of turning around and showing any reaction.

The comments continued. Hermione whispered under her breath to Harry and Ron to just ignore it. They complied, but she could tell they were both irate.

"A perfect little lower class couple," Malfoy snickered. His comment was surely loud enough for Snape to hear, but the Professor continued to grade papers at the front of the class.

Pansy mumbled something about Hermione being a simple, plain Mudblood. Her anger rose, and she gripped her stirring rod with white knuckles. Ron and Harry were looking at each other, having some sort of silent conversation about what they were going to do to Pansy and Malfoy.

"The poor little werewolf probably sleeps at the foot of her bed at night," Pansy continued, laughing at her attempt at a joke. "I bet she feeds him dog food, maybe takes him for a few walks."

She knew they were trying to get a reaction out of her, but she couldn't stop herself. "Do _not_ talk about him that way," she snarled, whipping her head around to send Pansy a menacing glare. Hermione's wand was drawn stiffly in her hand.

The classroom was silent, and that was when she realized that she had spoken rather loudly. She quickly whisked around and sat back down in her seat, placing her wand on the table.

It was too late. Snape was already striding over. She felt Harry and Ron wince on either side of her.

"_Mrs_. _Lupin_, I don't know why you feel compelled to draw your wand and lash out in such a way at your classmates, but I assure you that it will not be tolerated. Detention, Friday evening, my office." Snape's drawl cut through the classroom.

She wanted to let out a cry of outrage at the injustice, but restrained herself. She had watched Harry go down this path far too many times with Snape…

"Yes, Sir," Hermione murmured, her jaw tight with tension.

Snape turned and moved back to the front of the classroom, remaining silent until the bell rang and it was time to turn in potions. Hermione bottled her draught viciously and dropped it at Snape's desk before storming out of the classroom. Harry and Ron followed closely behind.

"That bastard!" She raged once they were clear of the dungeons, kicking a nearby column in the wall.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry muttered sympathetically.

"He's terrible," Ron agreed.

"He's atrocious!" she seethed, slamming her books into her bag.

Harry and Ron stood there with her for a few moments before she calmed down. After her breathing was at a normal rate, she looked up at them. "I should head to Remus' rooms," she muttered, running a hand through her loose hair, "I'll see you guys in the common room later."

"You sure you're okay?" Harry questioned, his brows furrowed together.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she mumbled absently, rubbing her temples as she turned a corner and headed for Remus' rooms. Luckily, she would have the space to herself. Remus had one more class to teach before he was done for the day.

Trying to avoid the main entrance through his office and the Defense classroom, Hermione took an alternate entrance he had shown her a few days ago. This way, she could get inside his rooms directly from the corridor.

She slipped inside the sitting area, letting out a heavy sigh before dropping her bag unceremoniously on the ground. Once the door was closed, she sunk down to the ground against it and buried her head in her arms.

"Hermione?"

The quiet voice made her jump, her eyes darting up to see Remus standing across the room.

"I thought you had a class to teach," she gasped, standing from the ground quickly.

"I don't teach at this time on Wednesdays," he muttered, looking over her with a concerned expression. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged, "I got a detention from Snape."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, watching her closely. "What happened?"

"I yelled at Pansy Parkinson in the middle of class. She was taunting me. Then Snape gave me a detention."

"What was Pansy saying?" He queried.

"You don't want to know," she breathed, falling down onto the couch and shaking her head.

"Tell me," he urged softly, "I'd like to know."

She met his eyes. "Her and Draco were talking about us. They were making fun of us. She… she called you a dog, and Draco called me a Mudblood. It was stupid."

Remus' jaw was tight. He paused to take a deep breath, and then spoke, "I'm sorry, Hermione." A tragically sad look passed over his face, gone before she could really recognize it.

"You've no need to apologize," she replied softly.

"But I do," he said, "Most of this is my fault. I'm embarrassing you and ruining your reputation because I'm a poor old werewolf." He looked tired and stressed.

Hermione felt a surge of irritation at his self-deprecatory manner. She stood up and crossed her arms, "I'm not embarrassed by you, Remus Lupin, more than anything I'm thankful to you for helping me so much in the past week! You'll never embarrass me."

He shook his head, "I'm glad that I helped you, Hermione, but you should know that this isn't going to stop. I'll always be the person that stains your reputation. Don't think that this is going to get easier, because it's not."

Hermione took a small step backwards as his words hit her. A voice whispered quiet worries in the back of her mind: _He regrets marrying you. He never wanted to do this. He wishes he hadn't._

The thoughts seemed illogical, but she knew that deep down, he hated this situation, and of course he never wanted to be married to her in the first place.

Remus looked regretful of what he had just said. "Hermione-"

Before he could say more she cut him off. "I'm going to go to the Common Room," she sniffed, picking up her bag and exiting quickly.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry to the people who hate to see them fight (I think we all do), but this is very important to their relationship. Kudos to you if you guessed what our little "bump in the road" was. Also, thanks soooooooo much to everyone for the wonderful feedback on this story. It's a blast to write, and you all make it a hundred times better.

_Coming up next:_ Remus decides to go see Snape, probably a stupid decision.


	10. Second Time Around

Hermione had left the room silence and tense. Remus was irate at himself. He didn't know what had compelled him to say what he did, but he knew that he regretted it. The look on Hermione's face had been terrible. It was like all her insecurities and fears welled up, so visible to him as he watched her.

He needed to do something, and at least try to make it up to Hermione. He decided that he'd start with Severus. The bloody bastard had it coming after being so cruel about his punishments towards Gryffindors. Remus wouldn't let Severus get away with this.

The werewolf stormed down to the dungeon, seething with anger and frightening a couple first years along the way. He knocked on the Potions Master's classroom loudly. It was a moment later that Severus opened up, a bored expression on his face. "Make it quick, Lupin. I'm brewing."

Remus clenched his jaw, "Why did you give Hermione detention?" His voice was strained with irritation.

Severus seemed amused, which only angered Remus further. "Did she not tell you the whole story? She drew her wand at another student. I don't know what standard you hold your wife to, but I will certainly not tolerate such aggression."

"The others were provoking her!" Remus barked back, his voice rising, "Surely you realize that she must have had a reason for acting like that."

Severus sighed, "Drawing a wand is different than simple childish taunts. I won't be revoking her detention, especially after this little tirade you put me through. Miss Granger should be more responsible than this. The Head Girl shouldn't have to resort to using her husband to get out of detentions."

"It's Mrs. Lupin now," Remus said flatly before turning and storming out of the dungeons. He didn't look back, but if he had, there would probably be a self-satisfied smirk on Snape's face. The bastard.

Remus arrived back to his rooms, falling onto the couch and mulling over how much he'd messed up tonight. Suddenly, he just felt a million times more terrible for this whole situation. Hermione was a bright, young, beautiful girl. She had never planned on getting married to her old, worn out professor. He'd always been fairly sure that Hermione had planned on marrying Ron one day. That had seemed to be the general consensus between everyone they knew.

But she couldn't marry Ron anymore. She was stuck with Remus. Instead of having a husband who she loved, she got an awkward roommate and a blaring stain on her reputation.

* * *

After her little disagreement with Remus, Hermione had made a couple laps around the school to clear her head. Once the other classes were out, she went to dinner with Ginny, Ron, and Harry. None seemed to notice that something was amiss with Hermione, but she was glad that she didn't have to talk about it.

They hung around the Common Room after dinner. She spent some quality time with her friends, and it _did_ brighten up her mood a little. Nevertheless, when she realized that it was after curfew and she had to go back to Remus, her mood dropped.

As the Head Girl, Hermione was allowed to stay out an hour after curfew. She occasionally made post-curfew rounds along with prefects and teachers. Tonight, however, she didn't have rounds to make, and therefore wasn't really supposed to be out of bed. Plus, Snape was apparently on patrol tonight, and she _definitely_ didn't want to run into him.

With a heavy heart, Hermione made her way back to Remus' rooms.

She found him on the couch, fast asleep, a book steepled on his chest. After watching his sleeping form for a few minutes, a strange pain began to stir inside of her. She was still a little angry, but the irritation seemed to wash away with each rise and fall of his chest. He was peaceful and young in his sleep. She wondered if he felt bad, or if he was mad at her for running out. They had been growing into such a nice friendship, but then the word got out, and everything had just fallen apart.

Perhaps she was being overdramatic. Things would probably be better in the morning. Hermione retired to the bedroom with a heavy heart, wishing that maybe Remus would wake up and join her in bed. Probably not.

* * *

The next few days were terrible. Hermione believed that there wasn't a person in the school who didn't know about the scandal. She was lucky that she had Harry and Ron. They'd taken up the habit of walking with her to most classes, looking as intimidating as they could so that no other students could ask their stupid questions about the marriage.

The worst part of it all was the fact that there was this immense sea of awkwardness separating Hermione from Remus. She spent her evenings in the common room until late at night, and avoided raising her hand or making eye contact during DADA.

They talked to each other, but only when necessary. The morning after their disagreement, Hermione had asked Remus if they could just forget about it. He had agreed, but things hadn't gone back to normal, and she knew that neither of them had forgotten about it.

She felt like he hated being married to her, and he hated having her living in his rooms, sleeping in his bed. After Wednesday night, he had slept beside her, but the distance between them had seemed further than on any other nights. It was starting to feel like they would never have the friendship she had been hoping for. Hermione resigned herself to trying to stay out of Remus' way as much as possible, and to never letting on that she wanted more from him.

When the weekend came, Hermione was happy to devote her time to her friends and studies. However, Ginny seemed to be catching on to what was going on with Remus.

"Alright, what happened?" the redhead asked, pulling Hermione along on her way to Quidditch practice. Hermione had agreed to meet Neville and Luna down by the pitch, so she didn't mind being dragged down the hill.

"What do you mean?" she replied, looking down at the ground.

"You know what I mean. You've been acting like something's wrong, and whenever somebody mentions Lupin you get this sad look on your face. Did he say something to you?" Hermione looked up at Ginny and noticed the girl's fierce protectiveness, very similar to a look she had seen on her mother's face a couple times before.

"It's nothing," she sighed, gazing down at the pitch, where a few figures were flying around, "things are just awkward between us."

Ginny was wary, "are you sure?"

"Yeah," Hermione breathed, tying her Gryffindor scarf around her neck and parting from Ginny.

She sat with Neville and Luna, talking with them about school and Quidditch while they watched practice. Neville was still uncomfortable with the idea that she was married to Professor Lupin. Luna kept making odd comments about how well-suited they were.

When practice ended, Hermione found herself being approached by Harry. She was disappointed to find that he also wanted to bring up Lupin. It seemed that everything in her life was starting to revolve around her husband.

"How are you?" Harry asked, removing his gloves and stuffing them into his pockets.

"Fine. You?"

"I'm good," he nodded, "But listen, Hermione, I wanted to ask you a favor."

"What?"

"I've been thinking… Dumbledore isn't giving me much information lately about the Horcruxes. He's holding back, and I feel like we need to know more. Lupin's our DADA teacher, so I figured he might know a thing or two about Horcruxes. Maybe you could bring it up and see if he knows anything useful?"

She really didn't think Remus would want to talk to her about this, but Hermione couldn't say no to Harry's hopeful expression. They'd been coming to dead end after dead end for weeks with the Horcruxes, and to be honest, Remus could quite possibly know something useful.

"I suppose I could ask him."

"Great!" Harry beamed, "but you have to swear him to secrecy, and don't tell him anything too important."

"Of course," she said, smiling lightly at Harry as they parted ways. She needed to get to the library and do something relaxing. Talking about Horcurxes with Remus could wait until they were at least a little less awkward.

So Hermione and Remus remained in a sort of limbo, at least until the next Saturday came around. It had been a fortnight since their marriage, and they were due to have sex again. On Friday evening, Hermione was embarrassed to return from her post-curfew patrol to find a suspicious looking potion waiting for her.

It turned out to be a birth control potion. Hermione grimaced as she drank it. According to the note attached, this one would last for a few months, and Madam Pomfrey had made sure that Snape put extra care into brewing it. She was mortified that Snape had brewed her birth control potion, but told herself to just get over it. The last thing she was going to do now was care about what Snape thought of her.

On Saturday, Hermione visited Hagrid with Harry and Ron, allowing them to keep her out as late as possible. It was shortly before curfew that she decided to return to their rooms. She said goodbye to Harry and Ron and slipped inside.

He was sitting at his desk, seeming to be drawing up a lesson plan or something. She had learned that he was very devoted to putting a lot of work into his lesson plans. It was endearing how much he cared about teaching.

"Sorry I'm back late," she murmured, removing her jacket and stepping into the dimly lit sitting area.

"No problem," he replied, looking up and studying her. There was discomfort hanging in the air. They both knew what they had to do tonight.

"How was your day?" she asked conversationally, leaning against the back of the couch and facing him.

"It was nice, actually. Got a lot of work done. Yours?" He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. She thought that he seemed nervous.

"It was good. We went to see Hagrid."

He nodded, and a silence hung between them for several odd beats.

"Did you- ah- did Madam Pomfrey give you a potion?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah," she exhaled, looking down at her hands, "I'm good for a few months now." She could feel her face burning.

He stood up then, moving away from his desk and closer to Hermione, "alright… should we… take care of this then?"

She watched him anxiously. Sex wasn't scary anymore, but he still made her feel just a little bit nervous inside. "Sure," she said, her voice tight.

He studied her face for a moment before reaching for her hand, and gently pulling her towards the bedroom. Hermione felt a wave of butterflies take flight in her stomach, but she trudged on bravely.

They arrived in the bedroom and he closed the door. It was strange to think back to the last time they had sex in here. Here she was, sexual encounter number two, and it was already off to a horribly awkward start.

He turned to face her then, his expression just a little bit different than it had been outside. They were still standing just inside the room, only a foot or two separating them.

"Look, um, I want to apologize for what I said…" He ran a hand through his hair anxiously.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh."

"I was just angry with people finding out about us, and I was angry about what happened to you. Anyways, I shouldn't have said that, and I realize how hard this is for you." He looked pained.

She suddenly felt terrible for running out on him. "It's fine, and I should be apologizing too. I shouldn't have left. I just don't want you to feel bad or ashamed for me. I don't care what people think of me, I'm really just grateful for everything you've done."

"Thank you," he said, his expression softening. "Now maybe we can actually move past it?"

"I'd like that," Hermione grinned.

Their eyes were locked for what felt like a long moment before he finally leaned in. Hermione felt a giddy flutter in her stomach. It had been two weeks since their wedding. Two weeks since he had kissed her.

He was much more heated and needy about his kissing than the last time. Hermione was delighted by the way he began to push into her, melding their bodies together. He grew possessive and confident, despite their rocky start this evening. It was when she let out a quiet moan that he finally pulled her to the bed. They fell onto the mattress together, Hermione letting out a little squeak at the impact.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. "Sorry," he breathed, "I get like this around the full moon."

Comprehension dawned on Hermione's face as she remembered the date. 'The full moon is Tuesday."

He nodded, crashing in to kiss her again.

So it was the wolf, then. Hermione vaguely remembered her study of werewolves back in her third year. She had written that terrible essay for Snape, and something in there had been about werewolves exhibiting increased aggression and sex drive closer to the full moon. That explained the way he was kissing her, with possession and heat.

Soon she was shifting beneath him, finding herself hot and needy as a result of his hastier mood. He had divested her of all clothing. His mouth was tracing over her breasts with reverence. She moaned loudly when he lightly bit her nipple, receiving a chuckle from him in response.

It was funny how much confidence she had gained. She wasn't nervous about her body like last time, she was just immersed in this lust that Remus seemed to be sharing. Their awkward relationship just faded into something else when they were doing their fortnightly "duties".

Hermione decided that she needed to remove some clothes from him. She flipped him over with difficulty, but managed to get herself on top of him. He still wore a light jumper, which she pulled over his head quickly, bending down to kiss her way across his chest, tracing a few scars as she went.

He let out a deep breath of air, lifting his hands to finger them through her wild hair. She smirked at the control she had over him. Her hands trailed down to his trousers, which she quickly unbuttoned and unzipped. She glanced up at him to see a challenging expression on his face. Before she could do anything more, he flipped them back over.

With a flick of his wrist, he wandlessly vanished his trousers and boxers. She didn't have much time to admire his wandless magic because he was soon grinding himself into her.

"_Remus_," she let out a low whine. He was teasing her, his erection pressed up against her entrance, but not where she wanted it to be.

He chuckled, "ready, then?"

"Please!" she almost shouted.

He did as she asked, pushing into her with a vigor that she hadn't experienced the previous time.

It was so different from last time. Last time he had taken it slow because of her inexperience, but now most of her discomfort was gone and his movements just felt blissful.

He proceeded to move in and out, bending over to kiss her chest, then her collarbone, then her neck, nipping lightly as he went. Hermione wrapped her legs around him, aiming for more friction. He seemed to understand her intentions and brought a hand down to touch her clit, releasing a whole new round of moans from her.

It wasn't long before he was thrusting faster, letting out low grunts as he buried himself inside of her. She lifted her hips to meet his, desperate for release. Soon the slow-mounting tension seemed to snap, and it was _so_ much more intense than anything else she'd experienced. Hermione cried out, and Remus grunted, thrusting unevenly a few more times before he was spent.

He pulled out and collapsed beside her. They lay there silently for a few long moments, regaining their breath. Hermione wondered not for the first time if all sex could be like this. Was it the full moon? Was it just some strange chemistry they had between them?

"I'm sorry," he spoke after a stretch of contented silence, "I didn't mean to be that rough about it."

Hermione laughed, "that was great, Remus, you've nothing to worry about."

Without much more to say, she shifted under the covers and turned herself over, allowing the tiredness to seep into her bones and her mind to drift off.

* * *

_Coming up next: _The full moon approaches.


	11. Full Moon

Remus awoke in the morning to find Hermione lying naked beside him. She was sound asleep, twisted and hogging the sheets, her hair shrouding most of her head. He smiled at her sleeping form.

Checking the time, he noticed that it was after ten, and they had missed breakfast in the Great Hall. He got out of bed and put some clothes on before moving into the other room and calling for a house elf.

"What can Dotty get you, Mister?" the little thing asked.

"I'll have some oatmeal, please, and, ah..." he trailed off, realizing that he ought to ask for something for Hermione. The problem was that he had no clue what she liked for breakfast. Luckily, her voice called from the bedroom, "I'll have the same as you," she said tiredly.

"Two servings of oatmeal, then," he said, smiling down at the elf.

"Right away, Mister," Dotty piped, disappearing with a crack.

Remus made his way back into the bedroom. Hermione was in bed, propped up on one elbow, watching him tiredly. The sheets were placed so that he could get a view of her shoulders and neck, with just a hint of unintentional cleavage. She looked like the picture of sexiness, wild hair and all. The wolf stirred within him, rowdy due to the upcoming full moon. Moony wanted her _again_.

Remus moved into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him to give her privacy to get dressed. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable after everything had gone so well the previous night. He had fixed the awkwardness between them, and now he refused to let the monthly spike in his sex drive make her uncomfortable.

He was halfway through brushing his teeth when the door creaked open, and Hermione brushed inside the bathroom. She was dressed in a t-shirt and some sort of thin little shorts. Her hair was still wild with bed head. Remus tried to resist laughing at the storm of hair on her head.

"Are you laughing at me, Lupin?" she asked while picking up a brush and beginning to work her way through the mass on her head.

Remus smirked at her, "not you, just your hair."

"You know, I like think that my hair is a representation of myself," she murmured sappily, "so I'm a bit offended."

"Mmm," Remus quirked an eyebrow, "my apologies."

She chuckled and went back to brushing her hair. It was a few moments later that the elf popped back in with their food.

They decided to eat breakfast beside each other in bed. Hermione was too tired to get fully dressed, and when she asked if they could just stay in bed, he was happy to comply. Remus pulled out a stack of papers to grade, and Hermione produced a paper of her own to look over. It was apparently Ron's potions essay, which she had agreed to edit for him. According to Hermione, he was close to failing potions and desperately needed her help.

The silence between them was amicable as they ate. He was amused by the fact that every couple of seconds, Hermione would murmur something like "this doesn't make sense!" or "That's not even a proper sentence!" while glowering at Ron's essay.

After several moments of this, she looked up at him, a slight blush on her cheeks. He caught her eye and smiled.

"You know," he began, "I was thinking that we ought to figure out a way to get back at Malfoy and Parkinson."

She furrowed her brow, "'get back' at them?"

He nodded, "They shouldn't have gotten away with what they said while you got a detention."

"And what exactly were you thinking of doing about it?" she seemed suspicious, but intrigued.

He shrugged, "I think we'll have to think of something."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, "_well_, I think I'll have to leave you to your own devices on that. I'm afraid I shouldn't really be participating in your revenge schemes, you know, with me being Head Girl and all."

"Afraid of getting caught?" He taunted.

"No." Hermione huffed, jutting her lower lip out, "I'm simply more mature than that."

The wolf began to stir at her provocative pout. He really needed to get the full moon over with so his hormones could just get out of the bloody way.

"Whatever you say," he finally replied, putting on a nonchalant expression and returning to his grading.

She returned to Ron's essay, finishing it up in silence. After she was done, she turned to her bedmate again. "Remus?"

He picked his head up and looked at her.

"What are we going to do for the full moon?" She asked, cautious in her question.

His expression drooped a little. "Well, I expect that I'll go to the Shrieking Shack. You can stay here, and then I'll return in the morning."

Hermione nibbled her lower lip, nodding and tracing patterns in the sheets of the bed.

"Is something wrong?" He could see some sort of anxiety in her movements.

She looked up, caught off guard. "Oh… I suppose I'm just worried for you."

It was endearing to see her worry for him. Remus smiled lightly, "I'll be fine," he waved a hand, "I've been doing it every month for as long as I can remember

"Still," she exhaled, leaning back against the headboard of the bed, "is there anything I can do to make it easier for you?"

_Oh, I can think of a few things you can do…_

Images of Hermione sprawled out on his bed like she'd been the previous night filled his mind, but he shook them away. The wolf was getting too much of a grip on his thoughts. He usually didn't get this bad around the full moon, but it seemed that the wolf had taken a liking to her, and living in such close quarters probably didn't help the situation.

"Don't worry about it," he said coolly, "I'll be fine as long as I get my potion."

Hermione watched him steadily for a moment, before nodding and getting out of bed, "I better go find Ron and return this to him." She stuffed the essay in her bag and left the bedroom. A moment later, he heard the other door open and close as she exited into the corridor.

* * *

When the full moon finally came on Tuesday, Hermione was nervous the whole day. Remus had decided to go ahead and teach classes, despite his poor condition. She watched him with concerned eyes throughout DADA. He didn't do much of anything, just allowed the students to practice some shielding spells while he sat at his desk.

After classes, Hermione spoke to Harry and Ron about the full moon. She told them how she was worried about him, and that it would be strange being alone in his rooms.

"We could always stop by," Harry offered, "instead of hanging around the Common Room."

Hermione beamed, "Of course! Oh, that would be so much better than having to be there alone."

True to their word, Harry and Ron walked to Remus' and her rooms after dinner, bringing Ginny along as well. Remus was there when they arrived, but in too bad of a condition to be able to have any real conversation. Harry and Ron just glanced at him awkwardly while Ginny smirked.

"I should go," he said, glancing out the window. They had about a half hour until sunset.

"Did you get your potion?" Hermione asked, standing up from the couch, where Harry, Ron, and Ginny were.

He nodded, smiling lightly at her while he shrugged his cloak on. Hermione glanced behind her quickly. Harry and Ron were focused on their homework, but Ginny was slyly watching Hermione, a grin on her face. That girl was too smug for her own good.

She turned back to Remus and hugged him quickly. He picked his arms up to squeeze her briefly before backing away. "Bye," he murmured, nodding to her as he left, then at the others.

"Bye." She said, watching him slip outside and close the door.

She turned back to her friends. Ginny was grinning widely, "you two seem to be getting along a lot better now."

Hermione blushed and sat down in one of the chairs, "I'm just worried about him," she said gingerly, focusing on her work.

Conversation dissolved into discussion over the upcoming Quidditch match, the first of the season. Hermione didn't mind them talking about Quidditch, she was just glad to have her friends with her. The room didn't seem so lonely with the three of them. Plus, they seemed to love having the space, as opposed to the crowded Common Room.

Eventually, Harry, Ginny, and Ron had to leave. Hermione bid them goodbye before collapsed into bed. She felt tired, but her mind wasn't quite ready to go to sleep. There was a clear view of the Forbidden Forest out Remus' bedroom window. She imagined him bounding through the woods in his wolf form, free and happy as he played. In reality, he was probably still going through quite a bit of pain, and locked up in the Shrieking Shack. It was at least an hour before Hermione was able to fall asleep.

In the morning, she skipped out on breakfast, instead deciding to rush down to the hospital wing before class. Remus had informed her that Pomfrey usually had him come to the hospital wing for a few hours after he woke up post-transformation. She found him sitting up in a bed in a curtained off area in the back of the hospital wing.

"How are you?" she asked, taking in his weary look. There were bags under his eyes, and he looked a little pale, but other than that, not too terrible.

"Tired," he replied simply.

She sat down in the chair beside his bed, "did you get any sleep?"

He shook his head, "I usually don't, but that's what today's for." His voice was hoarse from overuse.

Just then, Madam Pomfrey bustled in, handing Remus a potion and raising an eyebrow at Hermione's presence at his bedside. Hermione just smiled sweetly at the Matron, hoping to not get kicked out. Technically, students weren't supposed to visit at this time in the morning.

"Alright, Remus, I think you'll be able to go back to your rooms now," Pomfrey said running a few strange diagnostic spells over him before nodding. Hermione recognized a few of them, but the rest were too complex.

"I'll walk with you," she offered as Remus slowly started to get out of bed. He seemed wary at the thought of them walking together, but obviously waved it off, too tired to care at this point.

He got out of bed slowly, wincing as he went. "Are you sure you're okay?" she questioned.

He nodded, "It's not that far to our rooms anyway."

Hermione nodded tentatively before setting herself in stride beside him. He went slowly, so it was easy for her to keep up. Aside from his tired appearance, he didn't really _look_ like he'd just gone through a full moon.

As they exited the hospital wing, they encountered many students who were leaving the great hall, heading to their first classes of the day. Many blatantly stared as she walked past with Remus. She could hear some whispers among them, pointing out that _she_ was the girl who had married Professor Lupin.

"So how was your night?" he asked, ignoring the audience around them.

"It was alright," she murmured, not wanting to admit that she had a fair amount of trouble sleeping. "Yours?"

He exhaled, "terrible, as always, but I'm better now."

She smiled up at him gently. Some students around them were watching the interaction as if it was some sort of scandal, but she ignored them. It really didn't matter anymore what people thought of them. The news of their marriage had caused quite a stir, but things were dying down, and it didn't seem that people cared all that much anymore, except for now. Nevertheless, the student body would get over it soon.

Remus seemed very glad to have arrived back to their rooms. Hermione watched him retreat into the bedroom and fall onto the mattress ungracefully. He groaned, sinking into the bed and muttering something about how uncomfortable the hospital wing beds were. She watched him from the doorway, her bag slung over her shoulder and a small smile on her face.

"You should head to class," he said, eyeing her pointedly. He tried to be stern, but she couldn't quite take him seriously when he was so ungracefully sprawled across the bed.

Hermione steeled herself and nodded. "You'll be alright?" she tried to not look too concerned, but some of her worry escaped.

"I'll be fine," he replied, his voice still hoarse.

She watched him for another second, nodded, and then left.

* * *

_Coming up next_: A moment between Hermione and Remus that I think you all will enjoy very much :)


	12. Revenge and Revelations

Remus ended up coming through on his proposal to revenge on Pansy and Draco. In class a few days after the full moon, Hermione noted that he was in an unusually bright mood. There was also something suspicious about the way he was inspecting the room, his eyes straying to the Syltherins for extended periods of time.

The class was practicing shielding spells. Hermione was paired up with Harry. Ron had run off to work with Lavender for some unknown reason. Hermione and Harry were already experts at shielding and wards. She had practiced and researched the curriculum most of the summer, and Harry always excelled in DADA. It was because of this that they were very relaxed about the day's activities.

Draco and Pansy were working together, and unfortunately right beside Harry and Hermione. Pansy had erected her shield, and Draco was firing hexes at it, as the activity mandated for their practice. Every once in awhile, Pansy would slip up and catch a nasty stinging hex from Draco. This was quite amusing to Harry and Hermione.

"Ouch, Draco!" Pansy hissed, jumping backwards when her shield failed.

Harry snickered under his breath. He was lazily flicking spells at Hermione's shield, with stood proud and steady.

"What are you laughing at, Potter?" Pansy spat, noticing Harry's amusement. She glared at Hermione as well, who was trying to hide her little smile of satisfaction. "Oh, wipe that smile off your face, Mudblood." She said it quiet enough so that only Hermione, Harry, and Draco could hear.

Harry instantly stiffened at the word, but before he could let his anger get ahead of him, Pansy let out the strangest noise. It was a strangled sort of squeak that came out of her mouth. Her eyes grew wide with alarm, and she made the noise again, louder this time.

Hermione watched Pansy closely. The noise she was making sounded almost like…

"She sounds like a pig," Harry muttered, a shocked, yet amused expression on his face.

Pansy oinked several more times in panic. Half the class was now giggling. Remus was still sitting at his desk, pretending to be oblivious to what was going on. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and then looked back to Pansy. _He wouldn't… would he?_

"What did you do, _Mudblood_?" Draco growled, stepping closer to Hermione. Harry was now at her side, along with Ron. They both seemed to be prepared to curse Draco, but then, just as he spat out the word "Mudblood", his expression changed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a high-pitched barking noise came out instead.

Harry and Ron seemed to have caught on, and let out roars of laughter. Hermione made the connection that these noises were a result of Draco and Pansy calling her a Mudblood. Malfoy barked angrily, but he still sounded like a yippy little poodle. Pansy made the occasional oinking noise, her face red with embarrassment.

Hermione once again looked over to Remus' desk. He was now standing up, walking towards the group of students. For a moment, his eyes flicked to meet hers, and he winked conspiratorially. Hermione's jaw dropped. _He_ had done this! Of all the irresponsible things for a _teacher_ to do!

Oh, but she had to admit, it was rather funny. Draco had a hand clamped over his mouth and Pansy was still making outraged chortling sounds. Most of the Gryffindors were roaring with laughter, including Harry and Ron.

"Professor Lupin, something's happened to Draco and Pansy!" one of the other Slytherins desperately tried to talk to Remus over the laughter.

"Ah, I see," Remus murmured, a calm expression on his face. Hermione was surprised by his self-mastery, but then again, he _was_ a Marauder. "Looks like some sort of Weasley product gone wrong?" He showed false concern over Pansy and Draco. "Not to worry, it already seems to be wearing off."

Sure enough, Pansy stopped oinking. "What _was_ that?" she screeched, a sour look on her face. After a moment, Draco regained his voice. He was glaring at Harry and Hermione suspiciously, but didn't dare say a word to them. Hermione got quite a kick out of that. Here he was, afraid to talk to her. Perhaps this wasn't the worst thing Remus could have done.

Suddenly, the bell rang. The crowd of students dispersed, grabbing their books and filing out of the classroom. Laughter and amusement still hung heavy in the air. Pansy and Draco nearly bolted out of the room.

Harry and Ron looked like Christmas had come early. Hermione shared a look with them and their eyes flicked to Remus curiously. They were silently asking if Remus was the cause of all that. Hermione nodded reluctantly, confirming their suspicious. She then moved to approach Remus, who was standing beside his desk, packing up some papers.

"You could have just given them a detention for calling me that," Hermione mused, watching Remus pack his things. Harry and Ron were behind her, still grinning with satisfaction. The classroom was empty except for the four of them.

Remus smirked, "Ah, but that takes all the fun out of it. Besides, this way they actually learn not to do it again. Detention doesn't get anything done around here."

Hermione crossed her arms, "You know I don't approve of this."

"Well I think it was bloody brilliant," Ron beamed.

"Agreed," Harry piped. They were both staring at Remus as if he was some sort of god. Hermione rolled her eyes dramatically and bid Remus a farewell, dragging the boys off to Transfiguration.

* * *

The prank on Pansy and Draco was talked about through most of the school over the next day or so. Hermione found out that Remus was quite pleased with himself, and really, she couldn't complain. Things would probably be a lot easier now that Draco and Pansy were afraid to speak to her. A good mood carried her through to the next week, but she soon realized that there were things that needed to be attended to One of those things was the conversation she had promised Harry she would have with Remus.

It was late in the evening. Hermione had just slipped inside the room after coming from the common room. She spotted Remus sitting in front of the fire. "Can I ask you a question?" her voice was quiet, but it carried over to him.

Remus looked up from the book he was reading, "Of course," he assured, examining Hermione's anxious expression.

She moved to sit down across from him. There was a quaint fire flickering in the fireplace, and it was growing dark outside. She had promised to do this for Harry a while ago, and it was about time she got around to actually having this conversation.

"I was wondering," she paused hesitantly, "if you can tell me something about a particular aspect of dark magic."

He closed his book and set it aside before focusing his full attention on the girl across from him. There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "What is it?"

She swallowed dryly, "Well- um- I don't want to alarm you or anything, but it's pretty dark, and the reason I'm coming to you is because Harry, Ron, and I are at a loss of information."

Remus nodded, "Go on."

"Horcruxes," she said, her voice flat.

He didn't show much of a reaction, except for the slight quirk of an eyebrow. A silence stretched between them.

"Harry's been having meetings with Dumbledore about V-Voldemort." She explained quickly, "Dumbledore is withholding information from Harry, and we're trying to figure out why."

Remus took a deep breath, "Dumbledore thinks Voldemort made a Horcrux." His expression was ashen.

"Several."

He watched her for a long moment, before letting out a curse under his breath. She was surprised by his vulgarity, unable to remember ever hearing him curse before.

Hermione began to explain most of the story and what they knew of the Horcruxes. She told him about Tom Riddle's diary, the ring, and what happened in the cave at the end of the previous year. "Harry says Dumbledore almost died, and the Horcrux was a fake anyways. Now he's been shutting Harry out more and more." Hermione sighed, "Dumbledore is trying to protect Harry, but we all agree that he deserves to know more. We don't even know what half of the Horcruxes might be, and Dumbledore won't tell Harry anything else."

"I'm sure Albus has a good reason for doing this," Remus interjected. The shadows on his face flickered in the firelight.

Hermione fell back against the cushioned armchair. "We're just trying to shed light on it. You can't deny that Dumbledore's been acting at least a little manipulative lately."

He closed his eyes, as if contemplating what he was going to say to Hermione. After a long moment, he spoke, "so you want to know if I know anything about Horcurxes?"

She nodded.

He shrugged, "Well, I think you already know more than I ever learned about the subject. I'm afraid I probably won't be much help to you, but I can keep an eye out, and there's likely something sitting around the library at Headquarters. Next time I have a chance, I can look."

"Thanks," she said, smiling lightly. There was a strange edge in the atmosphere, but it was something Hermione was relatively familiar with. Talk of war and Voldemort usually brought about this sort of tenseness.

Hermione relayed this conversation to the boys the following evening. Harry was glad to hear that Remus seemed to be on their side. Ron was still a bit uncomfortable talking about Remus in general. "I'm going to talk to Lavender," the redhead grumbled out after awhile, getting up and moving to the other side of the common room.

"Is that a thing again, you think?" Harry asked, wincing as he watched Ron sit near Lavender and her friends. He was referencing the former relationship between Ron and Lavender.

"I certainly hope not," Hermione replied, "though I suppose Ron can do what he wants."

Harry turned to look at her, a contemplative expression on his face. "So… are you over him, then?"

She was surprised by his forwardness. "Oh… well yes, I suppose I am."

Harry smiled ever so slightly. She knew that he had been aware of her previous feelings for Ron, but she didn't think he paid this much attention.

"I think I just needed things to be put into perspective," she muttered, running a hand over the fabric of her skirt.

"I understand," he assured. Hermione was struck by the strange, insightful mood he seemed to be in.

"How are you and Ginny, then?" she questioned after a moment.

Harry's eyebrows pulled together, "we're fine." He propped his elbow on his knee and rested his chin on his hand. There was a strange gloom about him all of a sudden.

"Are you sure? It seems like something's wrong."

He sighed. "She's been asking a lot of questions… about the Horcruxes and Dumbledore and what I'm going to do if something happens."

"And you haven't been answering her questions?" Hermione asked, a hint of irritation in her tone. She understood Harry's trepidation to tell Ginny these things, but honestly, they were far too deep in their relationship for him to abstain from answering these questions.

"I just don't want to see her dragged into this war." He seemed tired, and for a moment, much older than his seventeen years.

"Harry," Hermione spoke firmly, "She's going to be involved in this war whether you like it or not. I'm sure she already feels isolated enough – we all do – and it's not going to keep her safe if you don't communicate. Unless she's shipped off to another country, she's bound to be involved. I think you should talk to her."

He considered her for a moment before nodding. "You're right."

Hermione bit back an 'Of course I am' and stood. "I should get out of here. I have to do some rounds tonight."

Harry said goodbye and she left, taking one last glance at Ron, who was engaged in a seemingly enthralling conversation with Lavender. She found it strange that there wasn't a familiar ache in her chest at the sight of them being together. Last year, she had felt such terrible sadness when she saw them together. Now, it just felt normal. She was over Ron, but was that a result of someone else being on her mind? Hermione certainly hoped she wasn't developing feelings for Remus. He surely didn't feel anything out of the ordinary for her.

No, she wouldn't let herself develop a silly crush on Remus.

* * *

It wasn't long before another fortnightly deadline came around for Remus and Hermione. It was nearing Halloween now. Hermione figured that before she knew it, December would be coming along, and with it, the holidays. She wondered what would happen when she left Hogwarts. It would be the first time she would have to see the Weasleys and possibly other Order members. That would definitely be awkward…

"You look like you're thinking too hard about something," Remus murmured. He had just stepped in from his office. Apparently, a couple Hufflepuffs had detentions to serve.

"I was thinking about the Christmas holidays," she replied, biting her lip in thought.

He chuckled, "We've not even gotten past Halloween yet."

"I know," she explained, "I suppose I am thinking a little too far in advance." She stood up from the couch to face Remus. Her homework was spread across the coffee table that sat in front of the fire.

"Do you need to finish this?" he asked, pointing at the papers and textbooks spread across the table.

"No, I've got plenty of time to do it tomorrow. Shall we?" she asked, inclining her head towards the bedroom. There was an excitement building within her. She was more than ready for the intimacy that they were about to share. They'd only done it twice, but she was becoming more familiar with him, and that lent itself to more enjoyable _activities_.

"Of course," he said curtly, leading the way into the bedroom.

She noticed that he hadn't shaved in at least a day. There was a bit of stubble on his jaw and chin. He closed the door to the bedroom and Hermione instantly moved in. She kissed his jaw, then his mouth, giggling at how his stubble tickled her lips. He appeared to be pleased by her good mood and responded with fervor. It wasn't long before he was sitting on the edge of the bed, Hermione straddling him.

She began to unbutton his shirt methodically. In the dimly lit bedroom, he looked more handsome than ever. She wondered it this crush that was developing was just a result of the sex. She could hazily recall reading somewhere that women released some sort of hormones after sex, causing emotional attachment.

Was this happening to her? Could meaningless sex be creating these feelings? She knew that Remus probably didn't share the feelings at all. Perhaps it was the fact that he was her first sexual partner, and a _good_ sexual partner at that.

"I think you're thinking too hard again," Remus' gruff voice cut through her thoughts. She had been looking down at his shirt as she undid the buttons one by one. He placed his hand on her jaw, lifting her face to look at him. "Anything on your mind?"

She shook her head, "Sorry, I just got caught up in something." Before he could say anything else, she was kissing him again, molding her body against his. That seemed to get his mind off of things.

* * *

They were both lying under the sheets in bed, naked, coming down from their highs. Hermione looked over at Remus, examining his form. He was staring at the ceiling, a tranquil, post-coital expression on his face. She watched his chest rise and fall as his breathing slowed down. Tonight he had been much less rowdy than the previous time, but it was still just as exhilarating as Hermione remembered. She loved having sex with Remus, and that was a fact that would probably take awhile to completely understand.

Shifting closer to him, Hermione examined his abdomen, at least the half of it that she could see from this angle. It was brighter in the room right now, a few candles were lit and intensified by Remus' handiwork. While removing his shirt earlier, she had noticed for the first time that the scars on the left side of his body seemed more prominent than those on the right. Now, in clearer light, she could see evidence of this again. Plus, the scars seemed to be very recent in some places. She wondered if he still hurt himself, every full moon.

Without thinking much on it, her hand reached out to trace a line along his ribcage. Remus stiffened, as if he hadn't expected her to touch him. They didn't really do this sort of thing: touching each other so comfortably when they didn't have to have sex. Still, she persisted, tracing a couple of scars while gauging his reaction.

He seemed to calm down after the initial touch of her hand. Now, he just stared at the ceiling, a contemplative look on his face.

Going out on a limb, Hermione decided to ask the question she had been thinking about. "Why are the scars worse on this side of your body?"

Remus took a deep breath before replying. It seemed that he had been expecting her question. "It's from another werewolf. A lot of these are from this previous summer. For some reason the werewolf only managed to get at this side of my body."

She was sure that her expression was one of shock. He looked so accepting of this fact. "What happened?" she queried, almost outraged by what had happened to him.

He tilted his head to look at her. There was sadness and worry in his eyes. "It's quite a long story, but I'll tell you if you'd like to know."

She watched him for a moment before nodding. "Only if you want to."

Remus nodded. "Over the summer, Albus began to think more and more about preparations for the war. In the Order, we discussed what we needed to do to face off against Voldemort. As you know, Voldemort's followers are growing quickly. We needed to gain more followers on our side. That was when Albus looked to me for help."

"Help?" Hermione asked, unable to see how this connected to him getting attacked by a werewolf.

"Yes," he continued, "Albus wanted to get a werewolf pack that I am familiar with on our side. I traveled with this pack many years ago, shortly after James and Lily died. They're based in Germany, a very nomadic group of werewolves that travel together. Albus asked me to go find them, try to establish some relationships so that when the time came, we could bring them into the fight."

"And they turned against you?" She traced another scar, the longest of the bunch. It stretched all the way across his ribcage.

"Well, not exactly," he took a deep breath. She could see the memories swimming in his eyes, "I formed some generally good relationships, and was accepted into the pack rather easily. I stayed there for a month or so, but there was one man in particular that I had a few problems with. His name was Rorik, and he felt that I had usurped his power in the group." Remus paused, deep in thought. "Rorik attacked me on one of the full moons. He was very strong, too strong for me."

Hermione felt a pain in her chest. She could tell that the memory was a dark place for Remus to go to. "Were you alright?" she asked, her voice quiet and gentle.

"I almost died," he whispered. She watched as his hand moved to draw a line across the most prominent of the scars on his chest. "But Albus gave me an emergency Portkey to use in case I was in trouble. I used it in the morning, and managed to get back here. I was pretty beaten up, but Poppy took care of me… and I'm okay now."

Hermione's anger leapt at the injustice of it. "Dumbledore never should have asked that of you," she exclaimed, sitting up in bed and beginning her rant. She didn't even pay any attention to the fact that she was still completely naked. "That was dangerous and manipulative of him. Did he know the danger that the other werewolves posed to you? I can't believe he made you do that!"

There was a ghost of an amused smile on Remus' face, which she belatedly realized was a result of the naked tirade that she had just gone on. "Albus didn't make me do anything," he said, his voice cool and collected, "I was completely in support of the idea."

Hermione's shoulders sagged. "Why?"

Remus turned his head and looked back up at the ceiling. "We need help in this war. I don't really care about the risk I'm putting myself in. I'd give my life for this world to be rid of Voldemort."

Sadness took the place of all the anger Hermione had been feeling just a moment ago. The war had been looming for years, and now it was closer than ever. Her voice was quiet and tentative when she spoke. "Do you think you'll die?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, turning his head to look at her once again. "I've accepted that it's a possibility."

Hermione looked at him forlornly. She felt a terrible ache in her chest building. She had always considered the possibility of herself dying in the war, but now it seemed more real than ever, and she hated the idea of someone like Remus, who had gone through so much in his life, dying.

It wasn't until he reached a hand out to wipe her cheek that Hermione realized she was crying. She shuddered and allowed him to pull her down against his chest. She let him wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly against him. With her head resting on his chest, Hermione cried silently. He pulled them under the covers together and held her while they drifted off to sleep. She could feel his even breaths in the movement of his chest and the tickle of air against her forehead as he exhaled. His breathing was calming, along with the feel of his arm wrapped around her waist. She focused on these things instead of all the other terrible thoughts swimming through her mind, eventually growing tired.

Hermione was too emotionally drained to understand it, but something had definitely shifted between them.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks to **NeonDomino** for brainstorming pranking ideas with me, and ultimately helping me put together Remus' method of revenge on Draco and Pansy.

So I think that this chapter was mostly relationship development/sorting out the Horcruxes thing. Soon, we'll get to the holidays and that's when things really pick up. I have a long plan of this story written out, and I'm excited for you guys to see all the things I have in store. There are some very interesting things to come.

_Coming up next:_ The looming war becomes more present than ever for Hermione.


	13. Confrontation

As the end of October set in, Quidditch preparations became much more serious for the Gryffindors. Hermione found herself immersed in almost constant talk of the spotrt. It was because of this that she was relieved to occasionally spend some time with people other than Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

"Luna, wait up!" Hermione called to the sixth year girl. Students were exiting the Great Hall in a rush of bodies, but she could clearly see Luna's blond head of hair.

"Oh, hello Hermione," Luna smiled airily, falling into stride beside her, "Where are you heading?"

"Ancient Runes, and you?"

"Divination," Luna replied, "we can walk together."

That was the idea Hermione had in mind when she approached Luna. She was glad to talk to the girl. She valued Luna's friendship, and they hadn't spoken in awhile. The pair began ascending the staircases, headed up to the sixth floor. Hermione and Luna chatted about the upcoming Halloween feast mostly. When they were on the fourth floor, Hermione noticed Remus descending the staircase, coming their way.

He smiled when he noticed her, "Hello Hermione, Miss Lovegood." She was glad that it didn't even seem to be one of those pretend, loving smiles they had been forced to wear in the early weeks of their marriage. He looked generally pleased to see her, and of course, she was pleased to see him.

"Hi Remus," she chimed. Luna greeted him as well, and then he was gone.

"You know, I think the two of you seem to make each other quite happy," Luna commented.

Hermione knew that Luna had a tendency to just say things with disregard for tact or the appropriateness of her comments, but she didn't really mind this comment. She just looked at Luna with an intrigued expression on her face.

"I've noticed that he seems a lot happier and well-rested lately," the girl continued, "as do you."

"That's interesting," Hermione muttered, furrowing her brow. Was he happier now that they were married? It didn't seem like this situation would make anybody happier, but to be honest, she _was_ happy. They had a nice friendship now, and perhaps she was even more smitten with him because of the crush that she'd developed.

"I've got to get to class," Hermione said upon noticing that they had arrived at the sixth floor, "thanks for walking with me Luna."

"Anytime," Luna said lightly, continuing up the staircase.

Throughout Ancient Runes class, the only thing Hermione could think about was whether or not Remus was happier now than he was before. She thought through all their recent interactions, trying to pick him apart. However, Remus Lupin was a complex creature. She was sure it would take her a long while to completely understand him.

* * *

Halloween was relatively uneventful. The feast was delicious as always. Harry, Ron, and Ginny didn't stop talking about Quidditch. After dinner Hermione simply returned to her rooms and worked on a potions essay.

In the following days another deadline came and went. Hermione was getting much more used to Remus and his body, as strange as it was to admit. She felt like they ought to have been on a different emotional level with each other to match the intimacy they shared.

A few nights later, Harry visited Hermione with some urgent news. It was news that sent Hermione into a spiral of stress and anxiety.

She had just been reading, sitting in front of the fire in hers and Remus' room. Remus was off having a staff meeting, so she was currently alone. She jumped from the couch upon hearing a panicked knocking at the door. Hermione opened up and find herself face to face with Harry.

She could see his stress and panic. Something was wrong. "What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you," he was breathing heavily, "can I come in?"

"Of course." She moved away from the doorway. Harry strode over to the couch and sat down stiffly. "I just talked to Dumbledore," he sighed.

"And?"

"We talked about the Horcruxes, and… he told me that we might have to leave Hogwarts to find them," for a second, panic flashed across Harry's face, "He was talking to me like he doesn't think he's going to be here much longer."

Hermione's heart sunk, "are you sure?" She moved to the couch and sat beside him.

"I don't know," he ran a hand through his wild hair, "but he was talking so much about what might happen in the future, and he says that Ron and I would have leave Hogwarts. Why would he be telling me this if something wasn't going to happen?"

She shook her head, standing from the couch and pacing the floor, "Maybe he's just planning for the possibilities. Maybe he'll have to leave occasionally like he did back in our fifth year." She stopped suddenly, whisking around to stare at Harry. "Wait, why did he say that you and Ron would have to leave? What about me?"

Harry's put on a muddled expression, "He told me that in this… _hypothetical_ situation, you would have to stay behind with Remus. God, Hermione, why is he planning this far ahead? Something must be going wrong."

"Why would I _ever_ stay behind while you two go out hunting Horcruxes?" Her temper lit up at Dumbledore's assumption that she would just sit back while they went out and failed to manage without her help.

"I don't know," Harry rubbed his temples, "he said something about how you're under the protection of the law, but that's not important. Why is he talking about these things?"

Hermione shook her head, continuing her pacing around the room.

Suddenly, the door from Remus' office opened, and he entered, looking surprised at the tangible tension between Hermione and Harry. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked cautiously, freezing where he stood.

On the spot, Hermione decided that she didn't need to worry Remus about this right now. "No, no," she shook her head; "Harry needs to go talk to Ron."

Harry stood up from the couch, smiling reassuringly at Remus. He walked towards the door, giving Hermione one last look.

"Tell Ron what you told me," she said firmly, "oh, and think about telling Ginny this too. I think she'd like to know." She looked at Harry steadily for a long moment. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

"Of course we will, " he replied, a strangely mature confidence taking over. In that moment, he looked much older than his seventeen years.

Hermione nodded, and closed the door behind Harry once he left. When she turned around, Remus was looking at her with a perplexed expression.

"I'm going to take a shower," she mumbled, attempting to flee from the room. However, Remus stopped her before she could get out. He reached for her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

She turned around so she could face him. He was eyeing her intently, looking her up and down. She tried to ignore the little flutter in her stomach. Now was not the time for _those_ feelings.

"Is everything okay?" he inquired, searching her face.

"Yeah," she exhaled and gave him a tight smile, "nothing you need to worry about."

He released her arm, still eyeing her with suspicion. Hermione backed out of the room, holding her reassuring expression until she was inside the bathroom.

* * *

The first Quidditch match of the season took place during the second week of November. Hermione walked to the pitch with Remus. They didn't talk about much; she was just hoping that he didn't ask about what was going on with Harry. They split up upon arriving at the Pitch. He went up to the staff area and she went off with Neville and Luna.

The match was against Slytherin, and was looking to be a rough one. Hermione noticed the anxiety in all her friends that morning at breakfast. They knew Slytherin was going to play dirty, and Gryffindor was planning on doing just the same.

The players were at each other's throats from the moment Madam Hooch blew her whistle. Hermione held her breath and gripped Luna's hand tightly throughout the match. Slytherin scored the first three goals, but Gryffindor came back with double that within the first twenty minutes.

"Malfoy looks angry," Neville stated. Hermione's eyes searched until she found the boy, chasing after Harry with lightning speed. It ddin't look like Harry had spotted the Snitch yet, but Malfoy wasn't letting him get away. They were a blur of red and green robes as they flew about the Pitch.

Hermione knew that Malfoy had been in an especially irritable mood these last few days. Apparently his humiliation in DADA was still weighing heavily on his ego. Plus, Draco would probably never be able to accept the fact that Harry was a better Seeker than him. Slytherin versus Gryffindor Quidditch games always turned out something like this.

"He's seen it!" Dean Thomas shouted from somewhere behind Hermione, "Harry's seen the snitch!"

It was early in the game, and Gryffindor was ahead. If Harry caught the Snitch, they would have an easy win. Hermione trained her eyes on the messy haired wizard. He was picking up speed, but Malfoy was still right behind him. They made a quick turn, whipping past the Gryffindor stands. Malfoy was close enough that Hermione could see the determined grimace on his face. He seemed especially irritated by the audience, most of which was chanting Harry's name with fervor.

The Slytherin Beaters were relentless in their attacks. Harry was dodging Bludgers left and right, but one was bound to hit him eventually. Hermione gritted her teeth and increased her iron-grip on Luna's hand.

There was a roar from the Slytherins as one of their Chasers scored on Ron. However, it seemed that despite the full game of Quidditch going on, most attention was focused on Harry and Malfoy.

Malfoy was still hot on his tail, and it seemed like Harry was getting closer to the Snitch. Just then, a Bludger came flying at Malfoy. He swerved downwards, just narrowly avoiding it. Gryffindor was fighting back with full force, and Malfoy looked enraged.

The boys were flying low to the ground now, and Harry was reaching out for the Snitch. The chanting from the students had died away, left with a strange quiet as everyone watched with bated breath. Harry was only inches away.

"Malfoy looks like he's about to ram him," Neville said warily. Sure enough, Malfoy was gaining on Harry with intent. Hermione let out a shout as the Slytherin's shoulder collided roughly with Harry's just as Harry grasped the snitch.

They both fell off their brooms in a tumble, slamming into the ground and sliding a few meters. There was a roar of discontent from most of the audience; the Slytherins because Harry had just caught the snitch, and the Gryffindors because of Malfoy's foul play. Hermione rushed from the stands, running towards the field with other Gryffindors in tow. It looked like Harry had taken quite a beating from Malfoy's ram.

Ginny and Ron were already on the ground. Ginny was facing off against Malfoy, who had picked himself up off the ground proudly. "You lousy prat!" she yelled, stalking towards him predatorily.

"Enough!" Hooch shouted, arriving beside the group and separating Malfoy and Ginny. Harry was slowly getting up off the ground. Hermione arrived at his side and helped him. He was clutching his shoulder with pain.

"_You_," Hooch reared on Malfoy, "come with me."

Malfoy straightened his hair and followed Hooch off with one last sneer at Harry and Ginny. After he was out of the vicinity, the group erupted in a cheer. Harry extended his hand in the air, waving the snitch around. Hermione spotted Remus a little ways off, standing with a group of teachers, Madam Hooch, and Malfoy. He looked cross, and Hermione knew that Malfoy would be getting some sort of penalization.

Later that evening, word got out that Malfoy had been banned from the next Quidditch match. The Gryffindor Common Room was wild with excitement. Hermione barely made it back to Remus' rooms before curfew.

* * *

A few nights later, it was time for the monthly meeting of Prefects with the Head Boy and Head Girl. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had begged Hermione to let them know how Draco was taking his Quidditch ban. She paid close attention to him during the meeting. He seemed to be in a cranky mood, but not too terribly distressed. She barely said a word to him, and he completely ignored her. The Prefects must have thought it funny that the Head Girl and Head Boy absolutely refused to speak to each other.

After the meeting, she made her way out of the meeting room. Before she could get away, however, Draco stopped her.

"Granger," He snapped, causing her to turn around and glare at him. They were in the corridor, which was empty except for the departing Prefects. It was near curfew, so there wouldn't be any other students around. She was practically alone with him.

"What do you want?" She retorted, her voice cold and level.

"Don't think I don't see you watching me," he said, a grimace on his face.

Hermione folded her arms in front of her chest, "I don't know where you got off being so arrogant, Malfoy, but I assure you that I could care less about what you do with your life."

His expression lit up with anger. He took a step forward. Hermione stood her ground, despite the frightening realization that her wand was tucked away in her back pocket, far out of reach.

"You'd better learn to control your mouth before someone puts you in your place," he growled. His eyes were filled with hatred so tangible that Hermione couldn't help but feel frightened.

"Mr. Malfoy!" a prim and tense voice echoed through the hall. Hermione turned to see Professor McGonagall standing a little ways away, and beside her stood Remus. She let out a breath and allowed her shoulders to relax.

Malfoy glared at her once more before stepping backwards. McGonagall and Remus had arrived at her side now, and both looked at Malfoy menacingly.

"We were just talking," Malfoy claimed stubbornly.

"Go back to your Common Room," Remus practically snarled. There was a surprising ferociousness in his demeanor. Malfoy practically ran for it, disappearing down the darkened corridor quickly. Hermione was happy that Remus had been able to scare him off, but really, she didn't need him and McGonagall to come rescue her.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked.

"I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle," she stood up straight and tried to not look shaken.

"Hermione, while I'm sure you can take care of yourself, if you ever feel threatened by Mr. Malfoy, you know that you can come to me," McGonagall said kindly. Hermione smiled tightly and nodded.

McGonagall sighed, "Well, I'm off to my office. It was nice speaking with you, Remus."

Hermione and Remus were now alone in the corridor. He was still looking her over with concern. She realized then that there were a lot of things she hadn't been telling him lately. Did he feel like he was being pushed away?

"Come on, let's go," he murmured, beginning at a slow pace down the corridor. Hermione walked beside him, trying to think of something to say to him.

"He just taunts me sometimes," she finally spoke, "It's really nothing to be worried about."

Remus exhaled, "I know. I just really dislike that kid."

She couldn't help but chuckle in response. "Oh, don't we all…"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Review? Also, feel free to let me know if there's anything you guys want to see in this story. I love the feedback.

_Coming up next_: The holidays approach and preparations must be made to leave Hogwarts.


	14. Holiday: Part 1

Hermione was walking back and forth across the sitting room, muttering quiet words under her breath as she searched for various items.

"Have you seen my scarf?" she asked, glancing at Remus as she made her way out of the bedroom.

"Coatrack?" he hummed, remaining in his position on the couch and watching her. Her hair had been pulled back in a tight braid, but small curls still escaped the plait, framing her face. He studied her as she moved to the door. She began rummaging around the coatrack, eventually finding her scarf. Remus continued to watch her.

The full moon was approaching, and he was feeling its effects. His bones were tired and his head hurt just a bit. Plus, he couldn't take his eyes off of Hermione. He cursed her jeans and the damned things they were doing to his brain. Where did these Muggles get off creating such tight pants?

She shrugged on her jacket and wrapped the scarf around her neck. After she was bundled up, she turned to face Remus. "You sure you don't feel up to going?"

Remus shook his head. It was far too close to the full moon for a Hogsmeade visit. She had been very kind, and offered for him to join her and her friends for some Butterbeer. He knew that it would have been awkward had he gone, and didn't want to bother her. Besides, he was completely exhausted. "I'll probably just sleep."

She smiled warmly at him, "Okay, I'll bring you back some chocolate from Honeydukes." With that, she swept out the door, leaving Remus alone.

The chill that seemed to be filling the castle was proof of the fact that it was December. Remus knew that the term would end soon, and Hermione would be shipped off to the Burrow with the others. To be honest, he would miss having her around at the castle. He remembered the loneliness of the Christmas holidays from the last time he'd been teaching here. It would be hard to not have her in his bed every night, but he would see her often enough over the holiday.

Perhaps a little solitude would help to clear his mind.

* * *

The weeks leading up to the holidays passed quickly. Remus recovered from the full moon, Hermione focused on her studies, and it was finally the end of the term.

Dumbledore had arranged transportation for all of the kids headed to the Burrow. It was a calculated and meticulously planned process. Apparently, Dumbledore had deemed the Hogwarts Express as unsafe at the present time. This worried Hermione; there had been many suspicious things popping up lately. It seemed that the world around them was growing more and more dangerous each day. Plus, Harry was having strange visions about Voldemort, which he was, of course, obsessing over. It had taken a lot of work on Ron and Hermione's part to convince Harry to just relax and have a nice vacation.

The plan was that Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Remus were to take a portkey to the Burrow. Remus was another precaution Dumbledore was taking for their safety. Apparently something could still go wrong with their Portkey travel, and he had to come with them to ensure that all went smoothly. It worried Hermione that there were so many concerns Dumbledore had, but nevertheless, she was pleased that Remus would be with her when she had to face Mrs. Weasley.

The five of them traveled to Dumbledore's office the night classes got out. Ginny and Ron were especially eager to get home and see their family. Hermione was a little anxious, still wondering if people would treat her differently now that she was married to Remus.

Finally, the whole group was ready to go. They had all shrunken their luggage and carried it with them. They only needed the Portkey before they left.

"Are you ready?" Remus asked under his breath, "you look nervous." He stood beside her, eyes roaming over the portraits in Dumbledore's office.

The others were talking and didn't seem to notice Remus' question. "Only a little bit," she mumbled, "just wondering what Mrs. Weasley will say."

His hand came up and rested on the small of her back in a calming gesture. Hermione tried to calm down her suddenly racing heart and smiled at the ground.

"The Portkey will be leaving in just a minute. Everyone get into position," Dumbledore said, ushering the students towards an old wireless radio that sat on the ground in the middle of his office. Hermione stepped forward with Remus, and he dropped his hand from her back. As he was doing this, she noticed Ron looking at her, and then at Remus' hand, an irritated expression on his face. She'd deal with that later, she decided.

With a pull at her navel she felt the Portkey whisk them away. She managed to not fall over when they arrived at the Burrow, surprising herself. Both Ron and Ginny had fallen to the ground, but quickly got up.

"Finally!" Ginny exclaimed, making her way towards the house with a purposeful stride. Hermione watched as her friends proceeded forward. Remus stayed at her side.

"It looks the same," she mumbled, her eyes roaming over the house and surrounding area. The only difference was that snow now covered the ground.

He hummed in agreement, following Hermione as she began to make her way towards the house. Mrs. Weasley had opened the door and was now greeting the kids with great hugs as they entered. "Wonderful to see you, Harry," she said as she released Harry from her hug. "Ah, Hermione," she smiled sadly, opening her arms. Hermione walked into the woman's embrace. Mrs. Weasley dropped her voice to a whisper, "I'm so sorry about everything that has happened to you, Hermione."

"It's fine," she pulled back, a collected expression on her face, "I'm okay."

The woman who was so much like a mother to Hermione just nodded, as if she didn't trust herself to speak. Hermione moved aside as Remus stepped in, and Mrs. Weasley hugged him as well. She could just barely hear Mrs. Weasley murmuring a quiet "thank you for everything you've done."

Remus pulled back and smiled at her. "Of course," he whispered before turning to Hermione and the others, "I'd better get back to Hogwarts."

"You're coming for Christmas, right?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," he affirmed, giving her a small smile.

"And you'll remember to feed Crookshanks?" She had wanted to bring the half-Kneazle with her, but it really wouldn't be smart to travel by Port-key with an animal.`

"Yes," He repeated, now looking rather amused.

Hermione nodded, and for a moment, wished that she had an excuse to kiss him goodbye. He seemed to want the same thing, judging by the way his eyes lingered on her face, but there was nobody here that they had to fool about the marriage. Everyone knew that they weren't supposed to have any sort of feelings for each other. Hermione resigned to a simple "Goodbye," which he returned before leaving. Once she heard the crack of his Disapparition she snapped out of her reverie.

"Well," Mrs. Weasley breathed, "I've just about got dinner ready. You kids go upstairs and get your rooms sorted and then come back down."

Hermione ignored the sly grin of Ginny as she followed her friends upstairs.

* * *

The following morning, Fred and George stopped by for lunch and to play a game of Quidditch with the others. Hermione refused to participate, as she always did. Instead, she decided to watch some of the game from the ground. There was snow everywhere and it was absolutely freezing out. Still, she bundled up and walked outside to watch the ending of the game. It seemed that Harry and Ginny had easily beaten out Fred, George and Ron.

Hermione was just standing on the edge of their makeshift pitch when Fred and George swooped down and hopped off their brooms beside her. The others were bringing their brooms and the supplies to the shed, leaving Hermione alone with the twins.

They both looped an arm around her shoulder from either side and began leading her towards the house. Hermione got a feeling that they had been planning some sort of conversation with her.

"Well, Hermione, we must say that we missed seeing you," the twin on her left announced.

"Yeah, especially after you spent so much time here during the summer," the other continued.

"You know, we found it very strange that neither of us was asked to marry you after this law came out."

"Not even a friendly owl asking if we'd consider it."

Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, it had to be someone at Hogwarts," she interjected.

"Yes, but you could have at least invited us to the wedding."

Hermione rolled her eyes. These boys just weren't going to leave her alone. "Sorry, but it was only Dumbledore and the Official at the wedding, aside from Remus and me, of course."

The twin on her right – she was pretty sure he was Fred – clicked his tongue. "You know, we could have helped the night go a lot smoother."

The other one, George, leaned down to whisper in her ear, "We're experts at spiking people's drinks when they're not looking."

They had arrived inside the house. Hermione turned to them with a sharp expression on her face. "I'm glad you didn't come because it is not okay to spike people's drinks." With that, she turned around and began removing her coat. There was still a slight hint of a smile on her face after the twins left the room.

That night, Ginny sat Hermione down in their shared room for a conversation she had apparently been planning. "We need to talk about the sex," she said seriously, "you've barely told me anything about it."

Hermione cringed, but realized that Ginny would keep pushing until they had this conversation. Besides, it would probably do some good if she talked to someone about her feelings.

Thus ensued a long conversation about sex, Remus, the first night, and basically every time after that. Hermione found that she did like talking to Ginny about these things. It helped her figure out what she wanted, and it was always nice to have a girl to talk to. It wasn't like Harry and Ron were people she could have this conversation with.

"I want more," Hermione finally admitted, falling back onto her bed with a heavy sigh. "We only get to do it once every other week. I mean, I'm a teenage girl, and I'm sleeping in bed beside him every night. I need more sex." It was true; she was becoming increasingly frustrated with the fortnightly schedule and their isolated intimacy.

"I'm sure he wants more too," Ginny conceded laughingly, "I mean, he's a man. You just have to make him admit it."

"But how can you be sure that he wants that? What if he just feels weird about me and doesn't actually want to have sex with me?"

Ginny furrowed her brow, lost in thought for a moment before her expression lit up. "I have a plan: on Christmas when everyone comes over for dinner I'll watch him. He'll probably have missed you a lot by then, and you can wear something sexy to dinner. I'll keep an eye on him and see how he reacts. That's an easy way to tell if he wants you, which I'm sure he does."

Hermione was hesitant. "I don't know…"

"Don't worry, I'm sure I have something perfect for you to wear. It'll be classy, yet sexy. You'll look great." Ginny was beaming with her idea. Hermione couldn't argue with the girl, and she decided that it wasn't a terrible idea. She really wanted to know if Remus wanted more from her, and Ginny would easily be able to evaluate the situation like this.

"Alright," she conceded.

"Yes!" Ginny squealed, standing up to pace the room and begin planning how Hermione could lure Remus in. Hermione just watched with a vaguely amused expression, slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Remus was lying in bed, feeling like the room was far too quiet. He glanced over at the space beside him, Hermione's space, and he felt a twinge of longing for her.

He was in too deep.

Here he was, sitting in bed alone and missing her, unable to go to sleep, unable to stop thinking about her. Even when she was around him, he missed her. He wanted to be able to touch her more, kiss her more. He wanted her to be here in bed beside him instead of off at the Burrow.

The wolf was growing more and more attached to her, and it was surely a bad road to go down. She probably didn't feel nearly as much for him as he did for her. He knew that she liked him, maybe even thought he was attractive, but she couldn't possibly _want_ him this much.

Oh, but how he wished she could.

Remus turned over in bed and let out an irritated groan when he caught a waft of Hermione's shampoo. The pillow smelled like her. Merlin, why did she smell so good? More importantly: why was he laying here in bed cherishing the smell of her on a pillow? If Sirius were here, he would be laughing his arse off and calling Remus a lovesick puppy.

Remus decided that there wasn't any sleep to be had right now. He would go for a walk. That always helped to clear his mind. He got out of bed and made his way around the castle, the quiet night somewhat comforting. Still, his thoughts barely strayed from Hermione.

Yes, Remus Lupin was in far too deep.

* * *

**Author's Note**: So I've heard some concerns over when this story is going to pick up the pace a little. Don't worry, that is coming _very _soon.

_Coming up next_: The Christmas party (and Remus) come along, plus, something disastrous happens to Hermione and her friends as the holidays draw to a close.


	15. Holiday: Part 2

"Don't look so uncomfortable, Hermione. The dress is amazing!" Ginny praised the uncomfortable brunette standing in front of her bedroom mirror.

"Er- don't you think it's a little low cut?" Hermione stammered, examining her reflection. The dress Ginny had given her was red with a tight and rather low-cut cleavage area. Other than that little issue, it looked fine.

Ginny sighed, "I guess so. Here, try this one."

Hermione took the next dress. It was grey and seemed to be more conservative. She slipped it on and was actually pleased with her reflection in the mirror. There wasn't anything embarrassingly exposing about this one. It had a nice medium length skirt and a normal neckline. Hermione turned around and examined her back, where the dress dipped slightly. "You know, I actually like this one," she conceded after contemplating it.

"Me too," Ginny agreed, standing up from her bed and beginning to rearrange Hermione's hair. "I suppose the other one probably would have had all my brothers eyeing you, which wouldn't have been too good."

Ginny helped Hermione calm her hair down significantly. Then, Hermione helped Ginny with her outfit, which she looked amazing in, of course. By the time they were finished Mrs. Weasley was calling to them from the kitchen.

"You girls look nice," Mrs. Weasley smiled as they entered the kitchen. "Come here and help me with the tea, would you?"

By the time Hermione was finished in the kitchen, Harry was pulling her out into the drawing room, where many familiar faces had already gathered. She spotted Remus immediately. He stood beside Charlie Weasley and Tonks, talking quietly. She pulled Harry with her as they approached the group.

"Hermione!" Tonks exclaimed, latching onto the girl in a hug. Hermione was happy to see Tonks, she'd always enjoyed her company. "We were so worried about you when we heard the news, but I've been talking to Remus and he seems to be taking good care of you." Tonks winked mischievously.

Hermione blushed before moving to stand beside Remus while Tonks greeted Harry.

"Hello," Remus said lowly, a slight smile on his face. For the briefest moment, she noticed his eyes skim over her body. Glancing across the room, she saw Ginny watching her with a triumphant look on her face. Hermione turned back to Remus inconspicuously.

"Hi," She replied, ignoring the little flip her stomach did.

Soon Charlie was telling them all about the dragons in Romania. Hermione just enjoyed being near Remus again. She caught herself glancing up at him regularly, catching his eye a few times. It almost seemed like he had missed her as much as she had missed him.

Most of the guests were close friends along with some Order members. Hermione noted that both McGonagall and Flitwick had come, but Dumbledore was not in attendance. Most of the room seemed to be a swarm of red hair.

Later in the evening, everyone sat down for dinner. Hermione was turned around enough in her walk to the table that she had somehow ended up sitting between Fred and George. Their suspicious attitude indicated that they had coordinated this. A couple seats down the table, Remus gave her an apologetic smile from his position between Charlie and Bill.

"So, Granger, we've been meaning to speak with you again."

"About what?" she inquired coolly.

George – she knew it was George because his mother had just addressed him – plastered on a big smile, "We think that we have some products that might be of use to you."

"Or maybe some of the other students in a similar situation to yours," Fred continued. He looked far too suspicious.

Hermione had never been able to appreciate the nature of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes franchise, so she honestly didn't know what they possibly thought she would be interested in. It was probably just an attempt for them to advertise more in Hogwarts through her. She didn't reply to them, instead taking a moment to serve herself pork off the serving dish that was being passed around.

"Don't you want to know more?" George inquired excitedly.

"I think you're going to tell me anyway, so by all means, go right ahead."

Fred and George leaned in closer and dropped to a lower volume. Just as George began speaking Hermione made eye contact with Remus across the table. He seemed to be wondering what was going on between her and the twins.

"We have some great products that may help with the marriage…" George whispered.

"You know," Fred continued, waggling his eyebrows, "spice up the bedroom life."

Hermione's jaw dropped. Remus must have noticed her oncoming anger because a hint of amusement flashed across his face.

She looked at each of the boys, her mouth set in a straight line. "I don't find that funny," she said articulately.

George cracked a grin, "fine, we get it."

"Yeah," Fred agreed, "It's already pretty randy with a werewolf. No help needed, huh?"

Hermione looked for something to hit Fred with, but settled on just crossing her arms in a stubborn manner. Remus was still watching the scene, and it seemed that Charlie and Bill had joined him. She could hear a murmur of their unintelligible conversation from across the crowded table. Her blushing and the smugness of the twins must have been funny, because they all had slight grins on their faces.

Dinner passed with Hermione ignoring the twins. After dinner, many guests left, leaving only closer friends and family members. Remus stayed, and approached her as everyone was walking back into the sitting room. "Were they bothering you?" he inquired.

"You don't want to know," she mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Probably not," he mused, sitting beside her on the couch. Ginny sat on her other side, with Harry perched on the arm of the couch.

They exchanged gifts quickly. Hermione received books from most people, which was normal and fine by her. Remus gave her a couple of very intriguing titles, along with a new quill. She and Harry had ended up pitching in on his gift together, and bought him a new set of robes. They were rather fancy, thus why she had needed Harry to chip in. Remus was happy with his gift, and gave her a heartwarming smile.

After exchanging presents, Mr. Wealsey brought out a bottle of wine. Hermione was given a glass. She sat beside Remus while everyone spoke quietly about the holidays and the snowy weather.

It got late, and Remus eventually announced that he had to get back to the school. Hermione walked with him to the door after he had said goodnight to all the Weasleys and Harry

Hermione knew she was a little bit tipsy. Not drunk, just tipsy. She remembered all those weeks ago, when he had brought out the Firewhiskey for their first night together, "liquid courage" as he had called it. Now, Hermione was feeling rather courageous. She looked around to make sure that nobody could see them from the other room, and then turned to face Remus.

"It was nice to see you," she murmured, looking up at him as he shrugged his jacket on.

"You too," he replied, watching her in an unfamiliar way, "my rooms are quite empty without you." It was probably not meant to be such a sincere comment, but her heart just soared in response.

"Well," she sighed, rolling on the balls of her feet, "I'll be back soon."

He nodded. "Goodbye." His voice was almost a whisper.

Hermione took a deep breath and leaned forward. She had to stand on her toes, but once she was moving in his direction, he began moving forwards as well. It was strange how they'd never kissed except on their fortnightly dates, but it was still so comfortable. Their lips met and she sighed into the kiss, extending her arms to wrap around his neck. His hands met either side of her waist, and she could feel the warmth through the fabric of her dress.

They only kissed for a moment or two until they realized that there were still people in the other room. Remus pulled back, but only enough so that he could glance over his shoulder, then look back to Hermione.

He appeared to be contemplating something important, but she just couldn't read him. Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps the slight snogging they'd just engaged in that made her brain a bit foggy. She just studied him while he studied her.

"I have to go," he finally rasped, his hands tightening around her waist for a moment before he released.

"Bye," she said, stepping back and smiling at him. "Happy Christmas."

He opened the door with one hand, still facing her. She felt the chill of air drift into the house, but still stood steady in front of him. His lips quirked into a slight smile as he spoke, "Happy Christmas, Hermione."

Then he left, closing the door behind him with one last glance over his shoulder. She listened for the sound of his Apparition before returning to the sitting room with everyone else. It seemed that nobody had noticed her absence, except Ginny, of course, who had been watching her and Remus like a hawk for the whole evening. Hermione fell back onto the couch beside Ginny. "He kissed me goodnight," she whispered to her friend, "That means something, right?"

Ginny let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah, that definitely means something."

* * *

The end of their break was nearing. Hermione had enjoyed her time with the Weasleys, but she was beginning to miss the routine of classes. Of course, she also missed Remus, but that was mostly just a longing for the day she got back to Hogwarts and they had to fulfill their fortnightly requirement.

For now, she only had three more days of the holiday.

She was currently standing by the frozen-over pond outside the Burrow with the others. Fred and George were engaging Harry and Ron in some sort of competition where they tried to crack the surface of the pond with spells. Hermione and Ginny stood a little ways off, watching the snowfall and chatting about their respective relationships.

"Harry's not been telling me all that much lately," Ginny murmured, her lips set in a small frown.

"He's just afraid of you getting involved in all of this," Hermione said confidently, "He doesn't want you to have to worry about it."

Ginny sighed, "I suppose it's sort of like what you're doing with Remus then, huh?"

She paused; realizing that what Ginny had just said was very true. "You're right," she finally admitted, nodding slowly. "We haven't talked about the war or – you know – _Voldemort_ at all lately."

"Then maybe it's time to talk," Ginny suggested.

"Maybe you're right." Hermione sighed, watching the snowflakes drift towards the ground.

The boys were all shooting red sparks at the pond now. Hermione and Ginny both watched their antics with amused expressions. It was only when Ginny turned to look up at the sky that Hermione noticed the girl's expression fall.

"Hermione," the redhead spoke in a quiet, grave voice, "What's that?"

She looked up and saw a black object in the far off sky. Squinting her eyes, she noticed a few more dots of black around it. They seemed to be coming closer, like clouds of black smoke blowing towards the Burrow.

"Oh my god," Hermione whispered, taking a compulsive step backwards, "they're Death Eaters."

Ginny jerked around to meet Hermione's eyes, her expression alarmed. Before she could say anything, however, Hermione was bolting into action. "Get your parents!" She told Ginny, pushing the girl towards the house before sprinting the few meters to the lake. Ginny hesitated, glancing once more at the quickly approaching figures before turning to the house.

Hermione screamed something indiscernible at the boys. They stopped their activities and looked around. "Death Eaters!" She yelled, pointing at the sky.

Fred and George were the first to spring into action. Fred grabbed Harry while George grabbed Ron. They were all yelling, but the twins were just focused on dragging the boys towards the house.

Hermione was rooted in place, her wand drawn, watching as tons of Death Eaters began to swarm towards them. George had pushed Ron towards the house and now reached for her, dragging her away from the pond. She broke out of her reverie in time to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley standing in the front door. Charlie was there as well.

Before she could make out what they were doing or what anybody was screaming, an explosion of snow and dirt knocked Hermione and George to the ground. Her head fell hard against the ground, and her ribcage had taken a pretty bad impact. She struggled to get up from the ground, but it seemed that it was too late for her to hope to reach the house. There were black-cloaked Death Eaters everywhere. Mrs. Weasley was screaming somewhere far off. Hermione tried to get up from the ground, but she could barely breath and a masked Death Eater was stalking in her direction, his wand drawn…

* * *

Remus was leaning over his desk, sorting through a sizeable stack of essays. He had graded most of them, and was therefore proud to have gotten so much work done over the holiday. Now he only had a few days left until the students arrived back at school.

His mind drifted off thoughts of Hermione. It was strange how invigorating their kiss had been. They'd never kissed like that outside of their bedroom. It had only served to make him want to be able to kiss her more. He was warming up to the idea of his affections for her. She'd looked beautiful at the Christmas party, and the way she'd smiled at him was so very heartwarming. Remus had realized that he wanted her to know what he felt for her. She deserved to know.

He jumped in his chair as the Floo ignited in a blast of flames. The face of Minerva McGonagall was staring at him, her expression ashen and panicked.

"Remus!" she called shrilly, "There's an attack on the Burrow!"

It only took a second for him to spring into action. Remus jumped from his chair, a panic similar to Minerva's setting in. "Who?" he asked, stepping towards the fire and summoning his cloak.

"Death Eaters," she said gravely. "We must go now. Albus is already on his way."

Remus nodded and watched as Minerva's face died away. Without a moment of hesitation, he bolted for the door.

* * *

_Coming up next_: It only gets worse from here…


	16. Death and All His Friends

Hermione fired a disarming spell at the Death Eater approaching, but he deflected it with a practiced ease. She was still on the ground, trying to stand up, but her legs were shaking and her head was throbbing, making it hard to find any balance. She glanced to her left and saw George lying on the ground, breathing through gritted teeth. It seemed he'd taken the blunt of whatever they'd been hit with.

Looking back at the Death Eater, she watched in paralyzing fear as he raised his wand. She knew that the spell he was about to cast would be deadly, and it was pointed straight at her. She would try to deflect it, but there was only so much she could defend herself against….

With a sudden flare of light, the Death Eater was hit with a brutal curse, knocked to the ground a few meters off. Hermione let out an aching sigh of relief as she saw Charlie Weasley lowering his wand and running to her side.

"Go to the house," he said sharply, helping her stand up before moving to George.

Hermione stayed where she was, evaluating George's condition before looking around. She couldn't spot Harry or Ron, but now there were some familiar faces among the Death Eaters. She noticed Kingsley and Tonks, each dueling their own Death Eater. A little ways away, she saw Ginny sprinting across the snowy field, away from the house. Hermione ignored the command Charlie had just issued and made a mad dash for Ginny. She intercepted the redhead in a moment, jerking her away from her path.

"We have to get back to the house!" Hermione yelled, trying to pull Ginny away.

Ginny was too far gone. She had a frantic look on her face as she pushed Hermione away and screamed Harry's name. Hermione followed her friend's eyes and saw Harry standing across from a looming Death Eater, engaged in a vicious and losing battle. She was about to take off after Ginny and abandon all hopes of getting to the house, but she was stopped in her tracks when she heard a bloodcurdling scream.

It was Ron.

Hermione bolted to his side as he fell, having been hit a dreadful looking curse. "_Stupefy_!" she charged the Death Eater that had just hit Ron, hitting him squarely in the chest.

After the Death Eater fell, Hermione dropped to her knees beside her friend. "Ron!" she wailed, seeing the blood staining the snow around him, "Ron, what did he hit you with?"

He coughed in pain, but he was breathing, that was good. "I'll be fine," he panted, "Harry and Ginny – go help Harry and Ginny."

She assessed his condition for a split second more before nodding briskly and standing up. There were no Death Eaters near them at the moment, so Ron wouldn't be injured any further. It was strange; most of the Order members and adults seemed to be preoccupied by a swarm of cloaked figures by the house. It was as if Harry and the other kids were being isolated over here, quite far away from the house…

Hermione proceeded to take off at a sprint to where Harry and Ginny stood, now facing the Death Eater together. As she arrived at their side, one of the curses seemed to break through Harry's temporary ward, hitting Ginny. Hermione watched as Ginny fell, but she knew that the impact couldn't have been too bad. Harry's shield had protected Ginny from most of the danger. Nevertheless, the girl was unconscious, leaving Harry and Hermione to face off against the Death Eater before them.

She took her stance at Harry's side and began to aid him in their defense. There wasn't really much time for offensive spells; Harry and Hermione just desperately tried to continue blocking spells and shielding themselves. She was deflecting curses left and right, but a few still managed to get through, mostly slicing hexes, which often have the ability to slip through wards and defenses. Hermione clenched her teeth as she felt the tear of a gash along her upper arm, and another skimming her leg.

_Keep fighting. Someone will come._

As if an answer to her prayers, a flash of light beamed from a few feet in front of Harry and Hermione. In the blink of an eye, the powerful form of Dumbledore appeared between the Death Eater and them. He raised his wand with another flash and the Death Eater was blasted away. Hermione almost cried out in relief.

_We're safe. Everything's okay now._

But that wasn't where things ended. In the split second after the spell left Dumbledore's wand, another spell came from his right, disarming him.

Before Hermione or Harry could react in any way to assist their Headmaster, they were knocked backwards, falling to the ground. Hermione's eyes widened as she realized that another Death Eater had entered the picture and disarmed Dumbledore. The Death Eater had now created some sort of ward surrounding himself and Dumbledore. It was like a slight shimmering bubble around the two adversaries.

Dumbledore was unarmed. Harry screamed when he saw Dumbledore put his hands up in a sign of surrender. Hermione anticipated Harry's attempt to break through the ward, and quickly grabbed his arm. She'd read about this kind of ward before, and she was sure Remus had talked about it in class; they were very dangerous to anyone who tried to break through. Harry continued to yell and struggle against her grip.

Her attention was brought away from the scene in front of her as she evaluated their surroundings. There were still Death Eaters, but fewer, and as she watched them, they began to Apparate away, one by one, fleeing. She could see some of the Order members, Aurors, and Weasley family members making their way towards where she stood beside Harry.

Her attention turned back to the scene in front of them. The ward was still there, and Harry was now gripping her hand tightly in his. He must have realized that any attempt to get past that ward was hopeless now.

No sound left the warded bubble, but it seemed that Dumbledore and the Death Eater were speaking to each other. For a moment, it looked as if Dumbledore made a slight nodding motion with his head, but before she could consider it, there was a flash of green light.

Dumbledore fell.

* * *

Remus' heart was racing as he arrived on the scene. He was reminded for a split second of a night so many years ago, when Albus had sought him out and told him that James and Lily had been attacked. Oh, he could remember his arrival at Godric's Hollow so vividly. His heart had been racing just like it was now. There had been a terrible sense of foreboding in his mind, as if he could already sense the tragedy.

The memories of that night faded away as Remus took stock of his surroundings. He needed to find her; that was his first priority.

The sound of multiple Apparitions was the first thing he noticed; the Death Eaters appeared to be fleeing. The second thing he noticed was what most of the friendly faces seemed to be focused on.

There was a large ward surrounding two figures, which he soon realized were Dumbledore and a masked Death Eater. Harry and Hermione stood just outside of the barrier. Harry was struggling against the hold that Hermione had on him, looking frantic and desperate. Remus let out an aching breath of relief upon seeing that Hermione was okay. However, there wasn't much time for reassurance. The urgency of the situation made itself known very quickly.

Remus had already taken off at a run with most of the friends and Order members around him. He watched as the Avada Kedavra hit Dumbledore, and it felt like something had been torn out of his chest.

In the split second after Dumbledore's body hit the ground, the Death Eater released the ward and Disapparated. Harry broke away from Hermione, racing towards the fallen man and dropping at his side.

Hermione was swaying where she stood, looking as if she was about to crumble to the ground. It was then that Remus arrived at her side, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to him in support.

All the Death Eaters were gone by now. Remus glanced around and saw the unconscious forms of both Ginny and Ron Weasley. Their mother was tending to them, looking shaken and teary.

Hermione turned around to look at him. There was a cut across the side of her face, and blood smeared across her forehead, but she didn't look terribly injured. When she spoke her voice was hoarse and unsteady. "I need to-" she stopped, pointing towards Harry and biting her lip to keep from crying.

Remus nodded in understanding and dropped his arm. She made her way over to Harry's side, wrapping an arm around him as she sunk to the ground. Their shoulders both quaked as they sat side by side in front of the body.

His chest felt tight, constricted. It was like reality had crashed down on him and left him with the harsh truth of the world he was living in. Albus had been a mentor to all who knew him, and he had been leading the fight against Voldemort. But now…

Could they ever defeat Voldemort? The outlook was nothing but bleak as Remus examined the aftermath of such a devastating battle.

* * *

Hermione was numb and tired. _So tired_.

Harry sat to her right, and Ginny sat beside him. They were currently in the drawing room of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. After everyone had been recovered and put in stable condition, they'd all Apparated over to Grimmauld. The house was still as gloomy and disturbing as ever.

Ron was going to be okay. At least that was what Mrs. Weasley was saying. He was currently in one of the bedrooms upstairs, asleep. Surprisingly, no one else had sustained any debilitating injuries. Hermione's various cuts and bruises had been healed, though she could still feel the slight throb of a headache from when she and George had been thrown to the ground.

Reminded of George, Hermione searched for him in the group of people gathered in the drawing room. She saw him after a second, standing with Fred and Mr. Weasley, talking seriously. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but all three shared the same grave expression floating around the room.

Her eyes fell on Remus next. He was standing with Tonks, Charlie, and Kingsley. Charlie, Kingsley, and Tonks were arguing over something while Remus tried to mediate. Hermione noted that Tonks and Charlie's hands were clasped together tightly. She would have smiled at the implied relationship there, but the night's events weighted far too heavy on her mind.

She glanced at Remus once again. He looked just as tired as her, and for a moment she wanted nothing more than for him to take her back to Hogwarts, where they could climb into bed together and sleep all this sadness away.

But sleep seemed a long way off at this point.

She, along with Harry and Ginny, had refused to go upstairs and sleep. They all knew they couldn't. Plus, it was somehow much more comforting to be in this room with all their friends and family than in a cold bedroom upstairs.

There were still so many questions to be answered, yet another reason why she couldn't bear to try and sleep. They still had no idea how the Death Eaters had located the Burrow through all the wards and protective enchantments. Nobody knew. That was probably the reason why everyone seemed so distressed.

Was nowhere safe?

Hermione honestly didn't know where they would go from here, but she knew that things couldn't stay the same. If anything, Hogwarts would change the most. Dumbledore was dead. He had been the reason that they had remained safe for so long. She wondered if they could even hope to return to their school.

Despite her exhausted state, Hermione's thoughts were running wild about what would happen in the coming days. It was only when Remus approached several minutes later that she came out of her mind.

He stood in front of the couch, looking sad and tired. He glanced over Harry, Ginny, and Hermione, as if evaluating their conditions.

"You all should try to sleep," he finally murmured, breaking the silence, "there's nothing else to do tonight."

Harry and Ginny both seemed ready to give in. They reluctantly nodded in agreement and stood from the couch, walking out of the drawing room and upstairs together.

Hermione stood up, now facing Remus. They just looked at each other for a long moment before Remus made a move to leave the room. "Come on," he muttered gently, allowing her to fall into stride behind him as they left.

She followed him up the first flight of stairs, then up the second. "Where are we going?" She inquired, her voice echoing slightly through the barren hall. The bedroom she usually stayed in was on the second floor, which they had already passed.

"My old room," he replied just as they arrived in front of the bedroom door. He opened it and walked inside, illuminating the room with the light of his wand. She evaluated her surroundings for a moment, coming to the conclusion that it looked a lot like his room at Hogwarts. It was comforting.

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep?" He was standing in front of her, one hand on the door and the other holding his wand.

"Will you stay?" She asked quietly. She didn't want to keep him from having an important conversation with everyone downstairs, but she really didn't want to be alone right now…

He considered her for a moment before nodding. She walked over to the bed and climbed in, feeling the dip of the mattress as he got in beside her. They both turned on their sides, facing each other. The room was dark now, but she could see the outline of his face.

He was looking at her, and it seemed as if he wanted to tell her something, but he must have decided against it upon noticing that she was quickly drifting off. "Go to sleep," he whispered, kissing her forehead in a way that filled her with warmth and comfort. It was only a second later that she fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's note**: So… I don't really know how this chapter is going to be received… I'm sorry I killed Dumbledore, but I am sticking to _some_ parts of canon. On the bright side, at least Hermione didn't get kidnapped by the Death Eaters or something like that.

_Coming up next_: A funeral and maybe a return to Hogwarts...


	17. Homecoming

Hermione watched Harry where he stood inside one of the many rooms in Grimmauld place. This room had a large, ornate family tree decorating the walls. He was examining it with a somber expression. It had been a few days since the Death Eater attack. The funeral had been yesterday, and they were to return to Hogwarts in two days. She hadn't spoken to him much, but she knew he was in a terrible state of despair. It seemed even worse than he had been after Sirius had died.

She decided that she needed to talk to him. Hermione entered the room, her feet causing the floorboards beneath her to creak the whole way. Harry turned to look at her, and she noticed the bags under his eyes. Without saying anything, she moved to stand beside him.

They stood in silence for a few moments before he spoke. "I might have to leave Hogwarts. You know… if things get bad," he murmured, his eyes roving over the names on the wall.

She hated the idea of him leaving. "I'm going with you then, and so is Ron."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his haphazard hair before he turned to look at her. "You have to stay at Hogwarts, Hermione. That's where you're safe. Dumbledore's made sure that you're safe with Remus."

She shifted her jaw, knowing that he was right. They'd discussed this before.

"Besides, with McGonagall there you'll be taken care of. If at any point it's no longer safe, she'll get you out of there. Besides, with all these rumors about Muggleborn tracking… I just don't want you to run away with me and get caught." His expression was straight and his words calculated. She knew that he had thought about this a lot.

She let herself sulk for a moment, staring at the floor and shuffling her foot. "But Ron will go with you," she finally spoke, "you need him."

Harry nodded somewhat reluctantly.

They both resigned themselves to staring off at the wall once again. Hermione thought back to Dumbledore's funeral. It had been quite sad, but beautiful nonetheless. She'd been able to stand with Remus and hold his hand, mostly because Rita Skeeter was there, along with many other unfamiliar faces. After the ceremony, Rufus Scrimgeour had shown up and requested to speak with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He'd been there to deliver the items in Dumbledore's will, which were all very obscure and confusing. Hermione still had no idea what to make of the book of children's tales that he'd bestowed upon her.

"I know you hate this," Harry murmured, pulling her out of her thoughts, "but it's honestly not going to help the situation if I stay at Hogwarts and write Transfiguration essays."

"_Hey_," she elbowed him in a lighthearted attempt, "school is important, even your Transfiguration essays."

The corners of Harry's mouth turned up slightly. She let out a huff of laughter.

"But seriously, Harry, we need to do a lot of planning," her mind began running through everything she needed to pack them, "and I need a way to stay in contact with the two of you…"

"Sirius' mirror," Harry said easily, as if he'd already considered it before.

"You still have it?" She thought that he'd thrown it away a while ago.

"Yeah – well, I broke my half – but it still works. I'll go look for it."

"Okay. And you should also go talk to Ron." Hermione would talk to Ron herself, but things were tense between them, and she didn't want to make anything worse.

"Sure," Harry obliged, making his way out the doorway.

* * *

The day before they were set to return to Hogwarts, it was announced that Snape was to be the new Headmaster. Hermione found out over breakfast, when Bill came in with that morning's copy of the _Prophet_.

"I can't believe McGonagall didn't get it!" Ginny exclaimed.

"That greasy git doesn't deserve any more control," Ron huffed angrily.

Hermione bit back her comment of "You'll probably leave anyway," still feeling a little spiteful. However, both Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were present at the moment, and neither of them knew about the chance that Harry and Ron would be leaving, despite the fact that Hermione had been trying to convince Harry to just tell Ginny.

That night an Order meeting was called. Hermione stood with the others and watched from the top of the staircase as various Order members filed in. When she saw Remus she couldn't help but smile at him. He noticed her eavesdropping position with the others and raised an amused eyebrow.

The four of them all fell silent and watched as Snape entered the house after Remus, looking as brooding and irritated as ever. It seemed that if anything, he was angry that he'd been promoted to Headmaster.

The meeting lasted for at least an hour and a half. After the extendable ears had failed, everyone had retreated to the drawing room. Hermione was sitting on the couch reading while Harry and Ron played exploding snap and Ginny skimmed the latest issue of _Witch Weekly_. Finally, Charlie entered the room.

"What happened?" Harry jumped from his position on the rug. Everyone in the room quickly forgot their previous activities.

Charlie looked around for a moment, seeing the anxious faces of Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. He seemed to consider whether or not to tell them, but eventually opened his mouth to speak. "Mum doesn't want me to tell any of you, but I think you ought to know." He paused, glancing behind him to make sure there was nobody else around, "The Ministry is interfering in Hogwarts again, and we figure that it's the Death Eater involvement that got Snape into the position he's in."

"Is Hogwarts safe?" Ron asked.

Charlie ran a hand through his hair, "For now. Snape suspects that he might be forced to allow some unfriendly faces into the school in the future, but he's pretty sure he can keep most of the students safe."

A silence fell in the room. Harry was gazing into the fireplace, a look of deep contemplation on his face. After a moment, Charlie moved to exit the room.

"Is Remus still here?" Hermione asked, hoping that maybe she could get a word in with him.

Charlie turned around, shaking his head, "Said he had to get back to school."

She sighed and settled back into the couch. Well, she'd be able to talk to him tomorrow at least.

* * *

The following morning brought about another elaborate operation to get the students back to school. Several Order members arrived at Grimmauld place, and then proceeded to Apparate to Hogsmeade with Hermione, Harry, Ginny, or Ron at their sides. From there, they walked to the school, entering through the front doors just as a crowd of students was leaving the Great Hall.

Ron groaned, "Great, we missed dinner."

"Relax, we can get something from the kitchens," Harry waved Ron off, focused on something else. "Hey, Neville!" He called the Gryffindor boy over.

Neville approached the group, greeting them all happily before turning his attention back to Harry.

"What happened at dinner? Did Snape say anything?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Neville adopted a wary and slightly unsettling look. "Yeah, it was strange. He said something about running the school with 'purpose and dignity'. Then McGonagall stood up to say a few words about Dumbledore and he left right in the middle of her speech."

Harry looked troubled. Hermione was a little put-off as well, but quickly reminded herself that he was only putting on an act. "Remember," she muttered to the others once Neville had left, "Professor Snape's on our side."

"As far as we know…" Ron said grimly.

She looked around at the crowd of students, dispersing into their separate corridors. Through the crowd, she saw the tall form of someone that looked like Remus. "I have to go," she mumbled to the others before taking off. When she caught up to him they were arriving just outside of his door. "Remus," she said, a smile already on her lips.

He turned around, seeming happy to see her. With a glance at the corridor around them, which had a few lingering students, he opened the door and led her inside. "I was hoping you'd arrive soon," he muttered.

She shivered at little, maybe because of his words or maybe because of how cold it was in the castle or maybe because of the fact that she knew they were due to have sex tonight. Before she could focus much on him, however, her attention was drawn to a ginger ball of fur curled up in front of the fire. She smiled at the half-Kneazle affectionately. "I'll take it you remembered to feed him?"

"Of course," he replied easily, removing his robes. He wore trousers and a button down underneath. Hermione gave him a short once-over while he was turned around. "Did you just get in?" he asked.

"Mhmm," she hummed the affirmation, removing her robes as well. "I heard about what Snape said at dinner."

Remus straightened a little, "It's nothing to worry about. He simply needs to keep up the image."

She had to awknowledge that this was a very good point. Snape couldn't just go soft now that he was Headmaster. He still had to keep up his image as a snarky lover of the dark arts. She chewed her lower lip while she considered this, not realizing that Remus was moving towards her until he was standing right in front of her.

"Shall we?" he asked, tilting his head towards the bedroom door. It was an innocent gesture, but Hermione found it strangely alluring. He looked lighthearted and handsome in the glowing evening light. She nodded eagerly, and followed him into the bedroom.

It started out how it normally did: Remus closed his bedroom door and proceeded to kiss her lightly at first, growing more insistent as they drew nearer to the bed. However, this time Hermione wanted things to be different. She'd missed him so much, and she just wanted to be closer to him.

Taking initiative, Hermione lightly pushed him down onto the bed and straddled his lap. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist to steady them. Once she was in his lap, she began to kiss and nip his jaw and neck, while simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt. One of his hands grasped the hem of her blouse, pulling it over her head easily when she broke away from him. She had finished undoing his shirt, which he shrugged off a moment later. Once he undid her bra and let it fall to the floor, she pressed her skin against his. The air around them was chilly, but he was warm and comforting.

She could feel his hardness pressed against her center, and couldn't resist the urge to grind herself against him ever so slightly. Remus let out a low breath as she moved, his hands grasping her hips and pressing her to him urgently. Hermione felt a satisfying sense of power at the way he buried his face into her hair.

Soon he moved them so that Hermione was under him, spread out along the bed. She grinned as he struggled to undo her jeans, reminded of the first night they'd spent together. It all felt like a lifetime away now.

She wasn't prepared for his hand to dip down, and when she felt him there her hips jerked involuntarily. She couldn't help the moan she let out a moment later. Remus looked amused.

"Remus," she gasped, her hands fumbling for his belt and trousers desperately. He chuckled, his breath puffing out against her neck.

He made quick work of his trousers shucking them off along with his boxers. Hermione could already feel the anticipation building within her. It felt like it had been far too long since they'd last been able to do this.

She let out a contented sigh as he sunk into her. He placed a hand below her left knee, prompting her to bend her legs. Once she did this he began his slow, intimate pace.

Tonight certainly felt different than all the other times, but Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on what had changed. Her mind finally settled on the fact that what had happened over the holiday had brought them closer. His movements were careful and intimate, and hers seemed perfectly in tune. She could feel the tension building, and was familiar enough with these encounters to know how much longer this would last.

But she didn't want it to end.

She didn't want to have to wait another two weeks until they could be together like this. This moment was so divine, and she would stay here if she could. She would just stay like this, so close to him, feeling the warmth and comfort that he allowed her. It was like an escape from everything. She didn't have to worry about anything outside of this room.

He breathed her name against her neck, his voice rough and deep. Hermione bit her lip to avoid crying out. His movements were becoming pleasantly erratic. She arched her back into him, wanting to do anything to just get _closer_.

His hands came to wrap around her back and he pulled himself closer. They came together then, Remus pushing into Hermione as she moaned his name. She was sure she sounded like a hot mess, but could honestly care less at this point.

After Remus came down, he pulled away, falling into the bed beside her like he normally did. It was only about half a minute later that Hermione began to shiver. She shimmied herself under the covers next to Remus, her head still pleasantly in the clouds. It had been wonderful tonight, and only made her wish she could have _this_ more often.

She was confused when Remus began chuckling a moment later. Hermione opened her eyes and examined the ginger cat that had just hopped onto the bed. Remus was smiling as he scratched Crookshanks behind the ears, eliciting a purr.

"Didn't I tell you he'd grow on you?" She commented, watching Remus with tired eyes.

"That you did," he replied, giving Crookshanks one more pet before laying his head against the pillow.

* * *

_Coming up next_: Trouble comes to Hogwarts in the form of a familiar face…


	18. Departure

Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron in the common room when the commotion started. It was Colin Creevey who delivered the news. He rushed past the Fat Lady's portrait and stood in the center of the room, breathing heavily. "Umbridge is here!" The alarmed yell quickly caused the atmosphere to dissolve into anger and panic.

Hermione's eyes flickered to Harry and Ron's. They'd been expecting something like this to happen. All week had been filled with tension and preparation for the inevitable. She knew that they would soon be leaving Hogwarts. If Umbridge was coming, there was no way the boys would stick around.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron were able to organize and plan late into the night. Harry and Ron were prepared to leave the following night, Saturday, shortly after dinner. Their departure from Hogwarts would be a secret, leaving students and teachers wondering where they'd gone the following morning. Hermione and Ginny would be tight-lipped about the affair, pretending that they had no idea what was going on.

Hermione gave the boys her charmed bag with its undetectable expansions. The group was very clear on their jobs: Harry and Ron would search for Horcruxes outside of Hogwarts, and Hermione would try to locate anything within Hogwarts while keeping them update on the state of the school. In addition, she would make sure that Ginny stayed out of trouble as per request by both Harry and Ron.

When she returned to her room with Remus late Friday night, she was forced to explain everything to him. He didn't like the idea of Harry and Ron running away, but he'd heard about Umbridge's presence at the school, along with rumors of other suspicious characters as well.

On Saturday evening, Harry had a lengthy talk with Ginny while Hermione spoke with Ron. She knew that they needed to actually talk about things, and try to alleviate some of the hanging tension between them.

"I'm sorry things happened this way, Ron," she spoke quietly. They were sitting in the empty DADA room, which Remus had left open for them.

Ron was sitting on one of the desks, swinging his feet over the edge distractedly. He didn't meet Hermione's eyes when he spoke. "Are you happy with Lupin?"

Her heart ached for Ron. He looked almost… vulnerable. She needed to give him honesty, it was the least she could do.

"He's nice to me," she commented, "and I do enjoy his company. Not to mention he saved my arse." She paused, glancing around the darkened classroom, "I think I could be very happy with him."

Ron nodded, a dejected expression on his face. "You know I always imagined I'd end up with someone like you." It was a statement, because of course they were always supposed to be together. It had been almost set in stone for years.

Hermione's chest tightened, "I'm sorry, Ron."

"It's alright," he brushed it off with a stronger, more guarded expression, "for now we've got to focus on the war. That's all that matters." He stood from the desk, his feet echoing as they hit the floor.

She nodded, wondering in the back of her mind what it would have been like if this marriage law had never come along. Would she be with Ron now? Would he have made her happy? Her mind drifted to thoughts of a future with Remus. She imagined them living together, a few years down the road, maybe having a family. It seemed so comfortable and _right_ in her mind.

Ron's was holding his head high, but she could see the dejection in the slight droop of his shoulders. "Come on," she said, standing from the desk she was perched on, "It's time."

Ron nodded, standing and following her from the room. They went back to the common room in silence, their footsteps echoing through the corridor. It was almost curfew, and there was only so much time until Harry and Ron would have to leave.

Harry and Ginny had returned from the boy's dormitory a few moments later. Ginny looked like she'd been crying, and she wore a grimace. Hermione gave her friend a weak smile, which she didn't return.

"Let's go," Harry murmured, a tight look on his face. Hermione noticed the sad look in Harry's eyes when he regarded Ginny. They'd obviously fought about this, which was expected. Just like Hermione, Ginny would want to go with Harry and Ron, but of course, they wouldn't allow it. At least Hermione and Ginny had each other. That and the fact that she got to stay with Remus seemed like the only advantages to this arrangement.

The four of them exited the common room together. Ginny hung back slightly, and Hermione moved to stand beside the girl, watching Harry and Ron walk ahead of them.

It really was stupid that the boys were going off while she and Ginny stayed home. For a moment, Hermione wanted to tell them to throw away their plans and let her and Ginny accompany them. But somewhere within her, she knew that it couldn't work like that. She had to stay at Hogwarts to make sure Remus didn't get in trouble, and to be able to pass information from the castle to the boys. Plus, Harry was far too stubborn about leaving Ginny behind, and she couldn't run away with them while Ginny was left at school.

Hermione sighed deeply. They were approaching the secret passage to Honeydukes. Harry and Ron would take the passage, then use the invisibility cloak to get out of Hogsmeade. From there, they would set up camp and wards somewhere in the woods. Hermione knew that Ron had also talked to Bill, and it was a likely that they would stay at Bill and Fleur's house for a while, unbeknownst to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

They'd arrived at the statue, which opened to the secret passage. The corridor around them was empty, but just to be safe Hermione cast a charm to discourage anyone from walking towards them.

Harry turned around, looking at Ginny, then at Hermione, then back to Ginny. He looked deeply conflicted.

Ginny's resolve seemed to break. She sprung forward, hugging both Ron and Harry, lingering with her arms around the latter.

"You two must stay safe. Don't do anything stupid," Ginny ordered, "and under no circumstances are you to split up."

Ron chuckled, "You're starting to sound like Hermione, Gin."

"Good. You would have died years ago if it wasn't for her," Ginny breathed, releasing Harry.

Hermione smiled, feeling the wave of nostalgia sweep through her. She hugged Harry, and then moved into a slightly awkward hug with Ron. When she pulled away Harry was opening up the passageway. A small gap in the statue appeared, just large enough for Harry and Ron to fit through.

Harry turned. "Well, I guess this is it."

"Goodbye," Ginny murmured, echoed a second later by Hermione.

Harry and Ginny shared a meaningful glance as he stepped into the passageway after Ron. They disappeared down the dimly lit tunnel, and the statue slid back into place.

Hermione looked to her right, and noticed Ginny struggling to maintain her composure. She quickly decided what she was going to do, and put an arm around her friend. They walked together towards hers and Remus' rooms. Once they were inside the sitting area, Hermione turned to Ginny, "You can cry, you know. It's okay."

Ginny shook her head, but a reluctant tear passed down her cheek. "I _hate_ this," she whispered resentfully.

"Me too," Hermione sighed, pulling Ginny towards the couch in front of the fireplace. They sat down side-by-side, speaking quietly and gazing into the fire.

It wasn't long until Remus arrived, looking tired and careworn after his patrols. When his eyes fell on Hermione and Ginny he seemed to understand what had happened. Remus began to make his way towards the bedroom silently. Hermione mouthed a "Thank-you" at him from across the room. He nodded and shut the door behind him.

"I should go back to my dormitory," Ginny said, straightening herself up. She'd calmed down somewhat, but still looked slightly flustered.

"Are you sure? You can stay here if you want," Hermione offered, "Remus wouldn't mind."

Ginny shook her head, "No, I should really go back before curfew."

"Okay," Hermione agreed, watching with concern as Ginny made her way out into the corridor.

After the room was silent, she still sat on the couch, staring into the empty room. She felt as if something deep within her had been moved out of place. She was doubtful about letting the boys run away tonight, and she was worried for all that would be happening in the coming weeks. It was only a matter of time before this war cumulated into _something_. Dumbledore's death had only been the beginning of it all.

She rose from the couch languidly, proceeding towards the bedroom. Remus was sitting up in bed, reading. Upon her entrance, he closed his book. "They're gone, then?"

Hermione nodded mutely, walking towards the dresser and pulling out a t-shirt and some shorts.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded again, looking at him briefly. "It's been a crazy couple of weeks," she mumbled, pulling off her uniform sweater. She could feel Remus' eyes on her.

"Agreed." His voice was soft and deep. She turned to look at him while she worked at the top button of her blouse. He looked tired, probably due to the upcoming full moon. She wondered if he wished it were one of their "duty nights" as much as she did right now.

Hermione longed to be able to touch him, to feel the closeness that usually came with their intimacy. She hated being restricted by their awful fortnightly system.

_Tell him._

The idea materialized somewhere in the back of her mind, and she wondered if she could simply do it.

_Of course you can. You've just got to get ahold of that Gryffindor courage._

She took a deep breath, but before she could say anything he had spoken again.

"We had a staff meeting," he mused, "Umbridge was there."

Hermione froze. "What did she say?"

Remus adopted a distasteful expression. "She plans on stopping by regularly to check on us. She claims that the Ministry is concerned over how Albus left the school."

"That's terrible," she scowled, her anger growing at the memory of all the horrid things Umbridge once did.

"It get's worse," he exhaled, rubbing his forehead, "she's planning on bringing other Ministry employees in, to 'ensure that the campus remains a peaceful place'. Bullshit if you ask me." His expression grew even more irritated, "Plus, I know she's bound to start restricting the curriculum again as soon as she can."

Hermione jerked the last few buttons of her blouse off angrily. "That woman is vile!" she seethed.

Remus' eyes followed her as she moved about the room, now only wearing her bra. Despite her distraction, she enjoyed the fact that he was watching her. Usually they'd given each other much more privacy in the past.

"Are we even safe here?" she asked, her voice dropping in volume.

He sighed. "Yes. As long as the marriage law is valid, and Snape remains in control of the school, we are untouchable. It would be too much bad publicity for the Ministry if the law was suddenly revoked or if we were hurt in some way. We have friends here, Hermione, and as long as you or I don't stir up too much attention, we'll be okay."

This was somewhat reassuring, but the situation was still rather dreary. She removed her skirt, undoing the zipper and letting it fall before stepping out of it. It was strange that she'd never changed like this in front of Remus. But at the same time, it didn't feel uncomfortable. They'd technically been having sex and seeing each other naked since September.

She looked at him over her shoulder. His eyes found hers, and she noticed the intensity within them.

_Do it, Hermione._

With a deep breath, she whisked around, facing him head on. "I want to tell you something." He voice was unsteady.

"What?" he inquired, watching her steadily, "You look rather nervous."

"Just-" she glanced down at herself, noticing that she was standing in front of him in just her knickers. She winced, looking back at him.

"Go ahead," he waved her on, leaning back in bed, "say whatever you need to say."

"Look, Remus, I don't- I want-" she paused, taking a second to master herself, "I don't want to sit around every night and only- well- only have sex with you every two weeks."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her with slight amusement.

She glanced down at her feet, then back up at him. "I just- I want- if _you_ want to, I would really like it if we didn't have to wait for every other damned Saturday."

For a moment, she seriously considered fleeing the room. Maybe she could just apologize and tell him to forget she'd ever said it-

"I thought you'd never ask."

Her eyes darted up to meet his. He'd cracked a sly grin, and she could almost see the mischief in his quirked lips. He began to get up, and that's when Hermione's muddled brain started to react.

"Oh," she whispered.

Before another word could escape her lips, Hermione was being pulled into a scorching kiss. Remus pulled her down to the bed, and she eagerly reciprocated his attentions. They didn't letting go of each other until it was late into the night and the exhaustion finally took over.

* * *

**Author's note:** Well I've had a terrible week. This chapter took longer because I was doing a ton of work and desperately trying to finish the semester. On the bright side, we'll have more regular and faster updates from now on. Maybe you guys could leave some reviews to cheer me up?

_Coming up next_: The students look for their own methods of rebellion, and Hermione and Remus draw even closer to each other.


	19. The Toad Herself

Severus watched Dolores Umbridge with absolute disdain as she made her way around his office. The woman looked the same as she had the last time he'd seen her at Hogwarts. It appeared that even after her encounter with the centaurs, she was as irritating and persistent as ever.

"I like what you've done with the place, Severus," she said primly, her hands skimming over his various books on dark magic as if they were lighthearted children's books, "It has improved since when Albus was here."

It was rather audacious of her to assume that she could address him by his first name. "I would prefer Headmaster Snape, if you don't mind," he said, a slight scowl on his face.

She smiled sweetly, "Of course, Headmaster."

Severus masked his utter dislike for the woman with a tight-lipped nod. "Now, Madam Umbridge, please have a seat, and you may tell me the nature of this visit."

He did not fail to notice the quick snap of her fingers as she performed a mild _Scourgify_ on the chair before sitting down. She arranged her pink skirt around herself before looking back up at him. "I would like to discuss a few staff members and their... _status_ here."

_Of course she's going to put up this fight,_ he thought, inwardly groaning.

"I do hope that you don't plan on revisiting your evaluation process from your last time here at Hogwarts. It was rather disruptive to a few classes." At this point, Severus didn't quite care if he was being blunt. The woman knew how he felt about her.

"Not to worry," her lips curled upwards in a sickeningly sweet manner, "I don't plan on using such intense measures of evaluation this time."

Severus nodded, his face blank and challenging.

"Now," she exhaled, straightening herself, "there are a few staff members I believe to be… _questionable_."

"And who might they be?" he raised an eyebrow.

She cleared her throat in the most displeasing manner, "First off, that _Centaur,_" she spoke the word with absolute disgust.

_Expected_, Severus thought. "Firenze only teaches a few Divination classes, and I am completely sure that he has done nothing improper during his time as a staff member here. Have you any evidence on the contrary?"

Her eyes flashed angrily, "I must remind you that I was _attacked_ by his kind here at Hogwarts," She let out a deep, vengeful breath.

"Firenze has been exiled from the group of centaur you came in contact with. I see no reason why he should be removed from the staff at this point because of the acts of others." Severus spoke firmly and coolly. He knew that the woman would attempt to push this issue further, and he honestly didn't expect that he would be able to keep Firenze in Hogwarts forever. "Are there any other staff members you would like to discuss?"

The woman crossed her legs, taking a moment to compose herself before she spoke again. "The werewolf," she frowned, "I do not see if fit for someone of his kind to be around children, especially considering the frequent transformations he undergoes."

Severus sighed. He'd been expecting this conversation as well. "Remus Lupin is not a danger to the students. Albus was confident that he is not a threat, as am I." A younger Severus Snape would have never guessed that he would one day be protecting the job of Remus Lupin, yet here he was.

"And what of the fact that he is married to a student here? I'm sure that this alone is a violation of several portions of the academic code." She challenged him with an air of superiority. Severus was growing more and more irritated each time she opened her mouth.

"Arrangements have been made, and the girl is not technically a student of his. I see no reason to declare him unfit to teach because of this, and I doubt any superior you consult at the Ministry will be able to look past his excellent work here as a teacher, and will be capable of overriding my commands." Severus annunciated each of his words with a sharp edge.

"We'll see about that," she replied primly.

He would let her go to whatever superior she could find, but he would ensure that Lupin, at least, remained. Despite what the woman in front of him might have thought, he was in control of this school, and no measures that she took would usurp his power. The Dark Lord had the final say in this matter due to his indirect control of the Ministry, and if he wished for Severus to remain Headmaster, there would be no changes made.

"Is that all, Madam Undersecretary?" he drawled, raising an eyebrow at her.

"There are a few other staff members that I am uncertain about, but perhaps we ought to discuss that at a later date. For now, however, there is another matter:

"And what is that?" he was growing bored of her unrelenting and desperate attacks.

She sat up straighter in her chair, "I have heard that Potter has gone missing..."

* * *

By Sunday afternoon, rumors were just beginning to spread. By Monday morning, the Great Hall was filled with whispers and stolen glances in the direction of the Gryffindor table. Everyone knew of the sudden disappearance of Harry and Ron.

Ginny and Hermione somehow made their way through breakfast by ignoring all the eyes that followed them. The whole day continued in a similar manner: whispers and rumors rising just becoming more and more outrageous with each hour. Some of the fifth years were convinced that Harry had broken it off with Ginny so that he could run away with Ron, whom he'd been in love with from the start. Hermione resigned herself to just holding on to her calm demeanor until classes ended, then she could close herself up in her rooms for the whole night and forget this ridiculousness.

She arrived in her rooms with a frown on her face. Remus was already inside, grading papers at his desk. He looked up when he heard her enter and immediately recognized her foul mood.

"Bad day?" he stood from the desk and approached her.

She shrugged, "I've had worse."

Remus stood directly in front of her now. She watched him as he reached for her book bag and placed it on the couch, and then returned to face her. He slowly lifted his hand, pushing some loose curls behind her ear. She felt a shiver of excitement course through her at the darkening look in his eye. It was such a relief that they'd finally gotten past the awkwardness and the issue of their fortnightly deadlines. Hermione had thought that on Sunday morning things might be awkward and he might have regretted their impulsiveness, but he didn't. Over the previous couple of days, there had been several repeats of their passionate encounter on Sunday night.

She wanted him again now.

He took a small step forward, dipping his head to kiss her. Their lips met for the briefest moment, before he pulled her even closer and began to kiss her neck. Hermione let out a sigh. She needed this right now.

Remus continued, nipping at her clavicle and running his hands under her jumper. With a quick rush of moment, he removed her jumper, dropping it to the floor and pushing her up against the wall. A low moan escaped Hermione's throat at the feeling of the cold stone against her back, mixed with the sensation of Remus grinding himself into her. She hazily remembered that the full moon was coming closer. He did seem a bit more… hormonal. Hermione responded to his movements by arching her back, pressing herself against him. Now it was Remus' turn to let out a moan.

The blare of green light from the Floo made Hermione yelp in surprise.

"Lupin," a deep voice called through the fireplace, "Where are you?"

It was Snape.

Remus hastily picked up Hermione's jumper from the ground, handing it to her before stepping in front of the fireplace. "Hello Severus," he said, coughing in an attempt to remove the gruffness from his voice. Hermione quickly pulled her jumper over her head, meanwhile trying to stay out of Snape's sight.

"Send Granger to my office," the Headmaster said flatly, "Now."

In a second, the light of the fireplace died down, and Remus' puzzled glance turned towards Hermione.

"It's about Harry and Ron," she said darkly, straightening out her jumper and hair.

He gave her a concerned once-over. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"I can handle it," she murmured, taking a deep breath before she left.

It was strange entering Dumbledore's old office for the first time since his death. The room looked almost empty with all his various trinkets removed. She briefly wondered where they'd gone. Perhaps a family member had taken them.

The large room was now only partially filled with books. She could tell that some of them were very dark, judging by the dark colors and eerie sensation she felt when looking at them.

"Mrs. Lupin, how nice of you to join us," Hermione's eyes shot to where the owner of that voice stood, next to Snape. Hatred welled up inside of her at the sight of the toad-like woman. "Please sit," Umbridge said, an almost sadistic glint in her eye.

Hermione stepped forward to sit in one of the chairs, making sure to look as composed and calm as possible. She'd known that Harry and Ron's disappearance would get her questioned by someone, and had prepared herself.

"May I ask what this is about?" Hermione inquired gingerly

"Headmaster Snape, would you care to explain?" Umbridge looked to Snape, who still sat at Dumbledore's old desk without a flicker of emotion or thought on his face. She didn't know whether it was good or bad that he was present.

"You are here, Mrs. Lupin, because there have been concerns raised about the disappearance of your friends," Snape spoke slowly.

"It seems," Umbridge took over, "that you might know the location of Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, or perhaps where they are headed."

She shook her head, adopting the betrayed expression that she'd practiced in the mirror yesterday. "I don't know where they went… They didn't even tell me they were leaving."

There was silence. Hermione could feel the heat of Umbridge's eyes on her. After several tense moments, the woman spoke, "Yes, but you must realize that your friends might be in very grave danger right now, what with all the Death Eaters and murderers on the loose." Hermione had to admit, she was surprised by how deeply concerned the woman looked. She tilted her head to look at Snape, who sat in the large chair, glaring outright at Umbridge.

She looked up, a hurt expression crossing her face, "We hadn't talked much before they left… It was like I wasn't even their friend any more. Not after I got married." This story sounded at least partially plausible, which was why Hermione had decided to run with it.

Umbridge narrowed her eyes and adopted a harsh tone, "I'll have you know, Mrs. Lupin, that there are other ways of getting the truth out of you."

_Veritaserum_.

The thought clicked in Hermione's mind along with a rush of fear. She looked to Snape, and she knew that he could see her panic, no matter how well she tried to mask it.

If Umbridge used Veritaserum on her there was no way that Harry and Ron would be safe. She'd find out about everything. Hermione couldn't let that happen.

Snape took a moment, then spoke, "I don't quite think that the general public would be happy to hear about such drastic measures of interrogation that you are implying, Madam Undersecretary." He looked at her pointedly.

Umbridge kept her authoritative demeanor, but she did seem to deflate slightly. "Well, Headmaster, perhaps I should remind you of the severity of the situation. It is quite possible that the safety of these two students is at risk." For a moment, it almost sounded like the woman cared. Hermione's hatred grew, like a fire that couldn't be stamped out.

"With all due respect, I doubt that the main concern you hold is for the safety of Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley," Snape drawled, an obviously irritated edge to his voice. Hermione felt a slight sense of satisfaction at his foul treatment directed at the woman. If there was one thing she had it common with Snape, it was their mutual contempt for Dolores Umbridge.

Umbridge considered Snape for a moment, and then looked to Hermione. Her critical eyes examined the young witch in front of her closely. After a long silence, she spoke. "Thank you for coming, Mrs. Lupin. That is all for now. I may call you back for another conversation at a later date."

Hermione resisted the urge to grin in victory. She quickly stood and excused herself from Snape's office. She wanted to show Snape some sign of gratitude, but was forced to settle for a formal, "Goodnight, Headmaster."

With an almost undetectable tilt of his head, Snape nodded at her. For some reason, it felt like the most significant interaction she had ever had with the snarky potions professor. She walked back to hers and Remus' rooms with a cluttered mind and a small sense of triumph.

* * *

**Author's Note:** All the wonderful reviews made my week. Thanks so much, everyone.

_Coming up next_: Umbridge's attempts to interfere grow more challenging to overcome.


	20. Trouble

Hermione was jolted awake by the noise of the door closing roughly. She sat up quickly, looking towards the door, where Remus stood. He was breathing heavily and almost seething with anger. He turned away from the door and his eyes fell on Hermione. Some of the anger seemed to leave his body. "Did I wake you?"

"It's fine," she murmured, standing from the couch. Her Potions book had been her pillow when she'd dozed off. It was now nearly midnight. "What happened?" she inquired. There were still traces of irritation in the downward curve of his lip and the slight crease between his brow.

"The staff meeting," he explained shortly, "Umbridge was there, of course."

"And?" she picked up her Potions book and placed it in her book bag, glancing up at him.

His mouth thinned out in a tight expression. "She can't get me fired, so she's doing the next best thing." He exhaled, "I'm no longer allowed to teach practical lessons to anyone lower than sixth years."

Hermione's jaw dropped, "she didn't…"

Remus nodded shortly. "She did. Went to the Minister. It's now been declared to be too dangerous to teach the young students anything other than theory."

"Remus, that's terrible," Hermione shook her head in indignation.

"It gets worse," he seethed, proceeding to explain how the Ministry was sending a pair of "guests" to make sure that Hogwarts remained a "safe and orderly" place.

"I don't know who these people are, but they sound like bad news." He murmured, his expression one of complete exasperation.

She watched him with calculating eyes. "They're not going to let you do anything practical with the younger students? Not even a demonstration?"

He sighed, shaking his head, "I am restricted to only theoretical instruction. Or else I get fired." After another moment of glaring anger, he spoke again, "I'm sorry I woke you. You should go back to sleep."

Hermione watched as Remus proceeded to the bedroom. She followed him, sitting on the bed while he began to undo the buttons of his shirt. "We can't let this happen. If they don't learn now they'll never be able to master basic defensive magic. Plus with this war going on…"

Remus finished changing and proceeded to climb into bed beside her. They both sat against the headboard of the bed, side by side. "I don't know how this was approved, but it proves one thing: the Ministry's gone to shit."

Hermione watched him. He looked tired. She'd known him long enough know to understand that Remus Lupin only cursed when he was really angry. "Yeah," she sighed, "The Ministry has made a lot of terrible decisions lately."

His eyes met hers, and they both knew what she was referring to: the law that had gotten them into this situation in the first place. His expression suddenly looked sadder and more resigned than anything. "It's not that bad, is it?" His eyes searched hers with a strange sort of fear. She was surprised by the sudden vulnerability that he was showing.

"No, it's not bad at all," Hermione sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sure we'll figure out some solution to this," he mumbled, his voice strained from the long day.

"We will," she agreed, her eyelids drooping. He slowly shifted, allowing both of them to lie down, side by side. She drifted off quickly thereafter.

* * *

Hermione was practically bouncing on her toes as she stood outside the DADA room. Remus' third years were just getting out of class. Hermione stood outside the as they filed out, glancing at her with interest. It seemed that even after months, it was still quite interesting to see Professor Lupin and his wife interacting in any manner. Despite the eyes on her, Hermione wasn't bothered today.

"Remus!" She grinned, entering the classroom with a fast excitement. He gave her a puzzled look from where he sat at his desk. She beamed, leaning over the desk and lowering her voice, "I figured out what we're going to do about this."

He still looked puzzled, yet mildly amused. "What are we going to do?"

"Dumbledore's Army," she murmured, her lips curled upwards, her eyes bright with excitement, "We'll bring it back."

He searched her face for a moment, comprehension slowly dawning on him. "Hermione…" he began, worry fogging his expression, "you were caught last time. That's- that's _very_ dangerous."

"I've already got it all figured out, and I've met with Neville, Ginny, and Luna about it. Remus, we can teach the younger students practical magic, and you can help! This way you won't have to listen to what Umbridge tells you to do!" She pulled her galleon coin out of her pocket, "and most of us still have our galleons… It's how we used to contact each other."

"Hermione," he stopped her, holding a hand up, "Do you realize how dangerous this would be? You need to keep your head down. We talked about this."

She met his eyes, a burning defiance sparking from deep within her. "You know I'm not going to sit around and be the girl Harry and Ron left behind. I can't just hide out in this castle and do nothing."

He put a hand to his forehead, rubbing his temple, "Do you realize what could happen if you get caught? It could put all of this in jeopardy," he waved his hand around in a vague gesture.

Hermione frowned, "Remus, I won't get caught. This could save lives, and I'm doing it whether you like it or not." She turned abruptly, making her way through the rows of desks back to the end of the classroom. Her mood had shifted so quickly in the past few moments. She'd been so confident and happy about all of this before telling Remus.

"Hermione, wait."

She turned, now standing across the room and facing him. He stood behind his desk, watching her with a resigned expression. "I just want you to be careful. It can't happen like it did last time, and if Umbridge starts interrogating students again, you need to shut it down."

She still had a defiant, blazing look in her eyes, but her expression did soften slightly. "No one will talk. I've got it all figured out."

He studied her for another moment, and then nodded, just once.

She retreated from the classroom, her thoughts already immersed in preparations for the first meeting. She knew this would be a good thing. They could keep it a secret. She and the others could do something useful, and Remus could help in their preparations. Yes, it would be a good thing for now.

* * *

Hermione spoke with Harry and Ron through Sirius' old mirror the following evening. They were at Bill and Fleur's cottage, and seemed to be in a relatively good condition. Hermione told them about her idea to bring back the DA. Ron liked the idea, but Harry was slightly concerned, especially over Ginny's involvement. Hermione quickly convinced him to get over it and accept the fact that she and Ginny were trying to help.

After talking to the boys, more planning ensued. By the following week, the meetings started. They were covert, and few students were deemed trustworthy enough to participate, but the lessons seemed to be useful. Hermione taught a lot of spells, along with the help of Ginny, Neville, Luna, and whatever other group members could teach something useful. She consulted Remus about the meetings, and he approved most of her teaching strategies. Despite his indirect involvement, he appeared to be happy to be doing something to help.

However, the relatively good mood that the success of the DA brought for Hermione didn't last long. Soon enough, Umbridge's "Guests" arrived. They attended dinner on one Sunday evening, looking intimidating and dark. Hermione couldn't help but think that they looked frighteningly similar to Death Eaters.

"I'd like to introduce, on the behalf of the Ministry of Magic, our new guests at Hogwarts," Snape announced, standing at the podium and raising an arm towards the pair of cloaked figures. "Amycus and Alecto Carrow are here to ensure the peace and safety of our school." The Headmaster spoke with a slight hint of irritation, especially when he glanced at Umbridge, who stood to his right.

"They look like Death Eaters…" Ginny whispered, sharing a disturbed glance with Hermione.

She looked down the staff table to where Remus sat. He was watching the pair with wary eyes and a grim expression on his face.

The arrival of the Carrows resulted in anger and anxiety from most of the students, even a few Slytherins. A couple days after their arrival, Hermione found herself already in trouble.

She had been walking to the DA meeting with Neville, Luna, and Ginny. It was Tuesday afternoon, one of their meeting days. She'd been preparing for this meeting all weekend. Her thoughts were immersed in the defensive spells she was going to demonstrate for the group.

"Uh oh," Ginny whispered, nudging Hermione discreetly. She looked up to see both of the Carrows across the corridor, walking in their direction.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh, but resigned herself to keeping her head down. Ginny, Neville, and Luna seemed to get the hint and did the same.

The footsteps grew closer. Hermione could feel their eyes. "Longbottom, isn't it?' an arrogant voice sounded in the echoing corridor.

She looked up and saw that it was Amycus who had spoken. He was leering at Neville. Alecto let out a short, wheezy giggle. Hermione likened them to a pair of Slytherin bullies.

"Yes," Neville affirmed reluctantly, glaring at the pair.

"_Longbottom_," Alecto mused, drawing out the surname, "I think I remember that name…"

"His parents," Amycus interjected, "Frank and… something."

"Alice," Neville growled, staring at the ground fiercely.

"Ah, yes, Alice and Frank," Alecto chuckled, "Tell me, how are they?"

Neville shifted his jaw, letting out a small, choked sound. Hermione's anger flared, and she stepped forward. "That's enough," she bit out, "It's a sensitive subject and I don't think Neville or anyone here appreciates your bringing it up."

The second after it left her mouth, she knew it was a mistake.

Amycus and Alecto both sneered, looking Hermione over. She glanced to her right, where Ginny was watching with wide eyes. Luna stood at Ginny's side, her arms folded while she glared at the twins.

"What's your name?" Amycus asked sharply.

She hesitated, but spoke, "Hermione."

"Hermione what?"

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Lupin."

An almost sadistic smile leisurely stretched across Amycus' face. It was a frightening sight. "Ah, Mrs. _Lupin_, yes we've heard about you."

"You all," Alecto snapped at the others, "Leave."

Hermione knew that her friends would not leave her alone with these people. Frankly, their loyalty scared her. She turned to Ginny, Neville, and Luna, all of whom stood defiantly.

"Go, I'll be fine," she murmured, surprised at the strength of her voice. She could face these two alone. Neville, Luna, and Ginny didn't need to be involved in this. It was her fault afterall…

Luna and Neville slowly retreated. Ginny hesitated more than them, but her eyes seemed to light up after a moment, and she rushed off down the corridor, pulling Neville and Luna along. Hermione saw the redhead turn in the direction of hers and Remus' rooms.

The corridor was almost empty. Any passing students quickly made their way out of sight of the Carrows as quickly as possible. Hermione swallowed dryly, trying to mask her fear.

"You were the one who was friends with Potter," Amycus observed cooly.

She didn't answer, not knowing quite what to say.

Alecto took a step forward. "And you married the werewolf?" She began to walk a slow circle around Hermione. It was like being stalked by a predator. Hermione knew without a doubt that these two were Death Eaters. She'd made a terrible mistake by standing up to them.

Someone cleared their throat from behind. Hermione felt a rush of relief, thinking that it was Remus. However, when she turned around it was Professor Snape who stood there.

Nevertheless, it was a relief.

"Amycus… Alecto…" Snape drawled, approaching, "may I ask what the problem is?"

"Ah, Severus," Amycus grinned, his eyes filled with cruelty when they darted towards Hermione, "you know, Mrs. Lupin here has quite a mouth on her."

"A common Gryffindor attribute, I'm afraid," Snape said, his eyes falling on Hermione. She knew that her expression was fearful, and in other situations it would have seemed so strange to be looking to Snape for help, but Merlin knew she needed it now.

"I think my brother and I would both agree that such disrespect deserves some sort of punishment. Perhaps _we_ should ensure that she learns her lesson. You are rather busy as of late, Severus."

Hermione was frozen in place. She couldn't see Alecto at the moment, but she could feel the look of pure hatred that the woman was giving her. Her eyes once again darted to Snape.

He gave the twins a calculated look before speaking. "As much as I would like to oblige, Alecto, I do not think it would be appropriate for a Ministry employee to enforce disciplinary action on a student. I can't imagine what the _Prophet_ would do with that story."

She wasn't facing Alecto, but she could clearly imagine the woman's snarling grimace. "I expect _some_ sort of discipline,"

Snape stood still for a moment, as if contemplating some grand decision. Finally he spoke, his eyes narrowed on Hermione. "Mrs. Lupin, if this poor behavior should persist, I will be forced to ask you to resign as Head Girl, and to instill other disciplinary measures."

Despite the sinking feeling at the idea of not being Head Girl any longer, Hermione was infinitely relieved that Snape wasn't going to let the Carrows do anything to her. She glanced at the pair of them. They looked disapproving of Snape's lack of immediate punishment, but they didn't protest. Relief was an understatement for what Hermione was feeling at the moment.

"What's going on?"

Hermione recognized Remus' voice immediately. She whisked around to see him approaching Snape.

"Your wife was just leaving, Lupin," Snape snapped, a warning in his tone. Hermione took that as her cue and started at a brisk pace towards Remus. Her watched her with confusion, looking up at the Carrows suspiciously every few seconds. Hermione simply tried to make her way out as quickly as possible.

Remus fell into stride beside her. Once they turned the corner she let out a deep breath. Her shoulders drooped in relief.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice low.

Hermione explained what had happened, shaking her head in anger when she recited what Snape had told her about her Head Girl duty.

"Hermione," Remus sighed, "you have to keep your head down. This was cutting it too close."

They were approaching the DADA corridor. Hermione rubbed her forehead, "I know. It was stupid. I just- I couldn't let them say those things to Neville." She looked at his tired expression. "I'm sorry. You've a right to be angry with me."

Remus reached out and put his arm around her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm not. It's alright," he murmured.

They stopped. The corridor was almost empty. Hermione knew that the DA meeting started in a few minutes. "I have to go," she said, looking up at him sadly, "Ginny and the others are probably waiting to hear if I'm okay."

He nodded, dropping his arm. She began to walk away, but he stopped her. "Hermione," he breathed, grasping her hand, "It's just- I don't want to see you get hurt."

She found herself slightly short of breath when she met his eyes. She swallowed dryly before nodding. "Don't worry. I won't."

His eyes followed her as she retreated, all the way down the corridor, until she was well out of sight.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I have to apologize because this chapter took me _way_ too long. Don't worry, though, because from now on we'll get back on track with faster and more regular updates. Review?

_Coming up next_: Hermione struggles to stay out of trouble.


	21. Lose Yourself

The week after Hermione's first run-in with the Carrows, she tried her absolute hardest to stay out of trouble. This strategy included trying to not be the center of attention whenever possible. She made it through the whole week without anything bad happening; however, when the first week of February came along, Hermione began to let her guard down.

It was the day of a very important Quidditch match for the Gryffindor team. Hermione was happy to attend the match and watch Ginny face off against the Hufflepuff team. She sat with Neville and Luna in the stands, watching the prospects look bleaker and bleaker as the game progressed. Hermione had never realized how important Harry and Ron were to the team. In their absence, Ginny had stepped up as Seeker and team captain, while Cormac McLaggen had taken the position of Keeper.

Hermione, Neville, and Luna cringed throughout most of the match. Despite Ginny's persistence and love for the sport, her team management skills weren't anywhere near what Harry's were. She could order the players around, but they lacked the cohesiveness she had once seen under the leadership of Harry, and Oliver Wood before him.

The match ended in an embarrassing loss for Gryffindor. Hermione made her way down from the stands after Neville and Luna, hoping that she would catch Remus while he was leaving the staff section. She told her friends to continue on without her, and she proceeded to stand by the pathway back up to the school, searching the crowd for her husband. Unluckily, she found herself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy before Remus had even left the stands.

"Granger," Draco sneered, leaving his pack of Slytherins to stand in front of her, "I almost didn't recognize you without Scarhead and Weasel at your side."

She frowned at the nicknames, but didn't allow any other reaction to show itself on her face.

"leave me alone, Draco," she sighed, looking over his shoulder to see if she could spot Remus,

"You know," he quipped, folding his arms, "it's actually quite sad that Potter and Weasley ran away without you. I almost feel bad, I mean, I didn't know that they hated you that much."

Her lips pulled together tightly. She knew he was trying to get a rise out of her. She had a reputation for her flaming temper, and she wouldn't let Draco prove that he could get the best of her like this. "Sod off, Malfoy," she muttered nonchalantly.

He quirked an eyebrow, "I think I may have just hit a soft spot, huh? Is it true? Did they really get sick of you and decide to skip out?"

"You don't know anything about what happened," she replied cooly. "And it's none of your business anyway."

"Oh, I dare to disagree. Potter's little escape is everyone's business nowadays. Did you see that last article by Skeeter? I think she was spot on when she said what his true personality is: an attention-seeking coward." Draco was grinning with pride.

Hermione shook her head, taking a brief glance at the crowd around them before deciding that she had enough. She stepped forward threateningly. "Come on, Malfoy. You know that Harry is anything but a coward. At the very least, he's far braver than you, but I don't know if that's saying much."

Draco scoffed, "He _ran away_, Granger. I don't understand why you're so bloody in love with him but soon you've got to realize that the only reason he ever stuck around was to get good marks. Soon you'll see how much of a coward he is. He couldn't even stay at this school after loony old Dumbledore was dead."

"Don't talk about Dumbledore that way!" She snarled, stalking forward, so she was almost touching Draco, "he's dead, you insensitive git!"

"And I'm glad," Draco whispered, sneering.

Hermione then did something which was, in retrospect, a terrible decision. She slapped him, right across the face, just like she had done so many years ago. She didn't put too much weight into it, but her hand did make a satisfyingly loud noise as it collided with his cheek.

She quickly realized her mistake, and took a step backwards, glancing around to check if anyone had seen.

"Mrs. Lupin," a low voice snapped, "physical assault on another student? My, my, we really have gotten ourselves into trouble this time…"

Hermione turned to see the owner of the voice. Of course, as if fate had suddenly decided to condemn her, it was Amycus and Alecto Carrow that stood to her left. She let out a shaky breath, her eyes widening with the realization of what she had just done. Draco still stood in front of her, now wearing a smug expression, almost as if he had expected this…

_Shit._

She'd walked right into it. Draco had obviously been taunting her all along, but from the adoring way he was looking at the Carrows, she could tell that they had put him up to this.

"Mrs. Lupin, perhaps we should take a walk to the Headmaster's office?" Alecto proposed menacingly. Hermione's heart sank.

The two began walking up the pathway away from the pitch. Hermione desperately looked around, trying to spot Remus one last time. It seemed that the crowd was mostly students, all trying to make their way back to the school as quickly as possible. Barely any had noticed the harsh interaction between Hermione and Draco. He now stood with a few Slytherins at his side, standing proudly among them. Hermione felt a boiling anger within her.

"Now!" Amycus shouted, his voice breaking through Hermione's thoughts.

With slow, shaky movements, Hermione began to make her trek up to the castle behind the pair of Death Eaters. With every few feet, a new wave of dread settled in her gut.

* * *

The door swung open haphazardly as Hermione stormed into the sitting area. Remus was seated at his desk, rifling through papers. He glanced up at her when he heard the door open. "Hey, I missed you after the match…" his voice trailed off as he noticed her frightening state, "what happened?"

She looked blaringly angry for a moment, but as she focused on him, her rage slowly crumbled into something worse. The young witch moved to sit on the sofa and buried her head in her arms. "I did it again," her muffled voice sounded.

Remus stood up and made his way over to where she sat. "Did what again?" he asked, already knowing somewhere in the back of his mind what she was talking about.

She shook her head, which was still resting atop of her crossed arms. Remus watched her silently, attentively.

She curled in on herself further. "I'm no longer Head Girl," she sniffled.

Remus furrowed his brow. "Oh, Hermione…" he didn't know quite what to say, and settled on putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged his hand off and sat up, facing him. Her expression was angry and frustrated. "You should be mad at me," she informed him, "I put all of this in danger. I was so _stupid_. I can't believe I fell for it."

"What happened?" he was starting to get really worried now, "what do you mean you fell for it?"

A new sort of agony filled her soft eyes. She slowly began to explain her interaction with Draco. Remus felt more and more empathy as her tale went on. "They planned this. I walked right into it!" she exclaimed, shaking her head as if chastising herself.

He inched closer to her, reaching out and cupping her face with his hand. "You made a mistake," he murmured softly, staring into her eyes, "and it's okay. I'm not mad, and it's not the worst thing that could have happened."

She rubbed her eyes tiredly, "everyone's going to hear about it."

"And you'll still be the bravest person in this school," he replied easily, a small grin on his face, "the girl that slapped Draco Malfoy in the face… _twice_."

A small smile teased at her lips, and she shook her head lightly in embarassment. Remus let out a small laugh, admiring the way her freckles mingled with the blush on her cheeks. He'd realized over his time knowing Hermione that she was so profoundly beautiful once he had gotten to know her. The more time he'd spent with her, learning her expressions and movements, the more he'd come to recognize the beauty and grace in them. If he was honest with himself, his feelings for Hermione Granger only grew worse with each passing day, and he was definitely in over his head.

She looked up, drawing him out of his thoughts when she met his eyes. "Draco's still Head Boy," she whispered distastefully. Her expression evolved to one of sickening realization, "and Snape's probably going to appoint another Slytherin to be Head Girl."

"Oh don't worry about that," he waved it off, "you'll still be the best Head Girl these kids have seen in a long time. You know that all the younger students look up to you tremendously. They won't forget you."

She smiled sadly, "Thanks."

Before Remus could respond, she was sliding closer to him, curling herself into his embrace. He lifted a hand to lazily stroke her hair.

"You're welcome." He kissed the top of her head softly. There were papers that needed to be graded, and lectures that needed to be prepared, but he really didn't want to think about his classes at the moment, especially with all the trouble Umbridge had been giving him. Right now seemed like a perfect time to doze off with Hermione. He pulled her closer into his embrace, marveling at how this situation had ended up like this.

But then again, he knew it wouldn't last forever. Remus had to enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

Days went by, and the news of Hermione's punishment got out. Fortunately, her friends were very supportive, and tried to avoid bringing it up as much as possible. However, the news couldn't be avoided forever, because a new Head Girl was soon chosen.

"Pansy Parkinson?" Ginny clarified in disbelief, staring across the Great Hall with an appalled look on her face.

Hermione turned around and scanned the crowd, spotting the Slytherin as she entered the hall. Pansy's Head Girl pin was proudly pinned on her robes. She walked next to Draco, who gave Hermione and her friends a glare from across the room.

"He's such an arse," Hermione murmured with contempt as she turned back around. Ginny was frowning at the Slytherin pair, as was Neville. To Hermione's right, Parvati and Lavender looked on with interest, seeming to be intent on knowing all about the drama.

"Just forget about it," Ginny said, offering Hermione a weak smile.

Hermione nodded, looking down at her food somberly.

"Hey," Ginny spoke up a moment later, her voice more cheerful, "you know, Professor Lupin seems a lot happier lately. Something's changed, huh?"

Hermione blushed at Ginny's waggle of her eyebrows. She could feel Parvati and Lavender watching, eager to hear about the now famous relationship between Hermione and their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. She shrugged nonchalantly, "Things are going well."

"I'd say better than well," Ginny continued, eyeing him as he sat at the head table, "he looks younger… healthier… You must be doing something right." It was apparent that Ginny hadn't noticed the eavesdropping of Lavender and Parvati, nor the blushing discomfort of Neville. Hermione didn't mind terribly, though. It was better that people thought their relationship was going well than believe the other questionable rumors.

And their relationship _was_ going well. Hermione looked up at the head table, remembering the events of one night during the previous week…

**.**

_Hermione was finishing her homework, seated at Remus' desk in their sitting area. She'd taken a liking to this position at his desk, as she was able to view most of the grounds outside, including the Black Lake. She was currently staring dreamily out the window, watching the swaying of the Whomping Willow._

_The door opened, and Remus slid into their rooms. He quickly made his way over to the couch, falling onto the cushions with a great sigh. "These full moons are killing me."_

_Hermione chewed her lower lip, watching him. "Do you need anything?" _

_He sat up, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. "I just get so bloody tense and restless around the moon."_

_A slow smile crept across Hermione's face. "I happen to know a few things that could help with that…"_

_Remus seemed to pick up on where her thoughts were going. He propped his arm up on the back of the couch, leaning his head against his hand. "You know," he smiled, "I was thinking about taking a shower."_

_Hermione's smile grew. "I was thinking the exact same thing."_

_She followed him into the bathroom, giggling as she went. He shut the door behind them and immediately began to kiss her. It was a kiss of teeth and tongue and fervor. Hermione pulled away to pull her shirt over her head, then remove her bra, jeans, and knickers. Meanwhile, Remus turned the shower on and stripped himself down. She stepped inside the shower, immersing herself in warm water. The stresses of her day washed away with the relaxing heat. _

_Remus entered the shower shortly after. Hermione was facing the other direction, and squeaked in surprise when she felt him press up against her from behind. He was already hard, already grinding into her. She turned in his arms and began to kiss him, pulling him under the stream of hot water with her._

_He sighed. "Just what I needed."_

_Hermione's chuckle turned into another squeak when he quickly picked her up and pushed her against the wet tiled wall. He grunted under the strain of holding her up, but he seemed to not mind too terribly. She could tell that he wanted to do this fast and hard. Hermione had learned that most sexual encounters with Remus around the full moon were like this._

_She reached down and guided his length inside of her. Remus dropped his head down to her shoulder with a groan. Hermione lifted her hands to brace herself on his shoulders, and he took that as his signal to get on with it._

_Their coupling was hurried and passionate. The feeling of being pressed up against a wall in addition to his quick thrusts left Hermione a moaning mess. Her head fell back against the tile. Remus stepped even closer, so that there was almost no space between him, Hermione, and the wall. The change in angle created a blissful sort of friction that was quickly sending Hermione towards her climax. She could feel the spasms of his arm and shoulder muscles as he moved back and forth relentlessly, still holding her in the air. _

_She came with moan, and he with a loud curse, followed by a reverently murmured "Hermione". He stood frozen for about ten seconds before he let her down slowly. She could see the soreness in his arms and back from his grimace as he stretched._

_"Have I hurt you?' she asked, running her head under the water once more._

_"You did nothing of the sort," he retorted quickly, "I was already sore, so it didn't matter too much. It was wonderful," he stepped under the water with her, kissing her neck, "you know I always have too much energy before the full moon."_

_"I'm glad I could help," she grinned._

_He chuckled, reaching for the soap, "come on. Let's get washed up."_

**.**

"You look better as well, Hermione." Ginny commented, "You look happier lately."

Hermione was pulled away from her thoughts, a mild blush tinting her cheeks. Ginny and the others didn't seem to notice. They were all too focused on examining Remus across the room. Hermione took a gulp of cool water, trying to will away her blush and the thoughts of hers and Remus' shower escapades.

"I am happier I suppose," she muttered matter-of-factly.

"What's it like?" Lavender asked, "Being married to him?" The girl leaned closer, lowering her voice, "Is he an animal in bed?"

Hermione was taken aback at Lavender's forwardness. She sputtered for a moment, and both Lavender and Parvati seemed to take that as a yes.

"Wow," Parvati murmured, staring up at the staff table dreamily. Lavender mimicked her friend, studying Remus with a starry-eyed grin. Hermione glared at them, feeling a twinge of anger and possessiveness over her husband.

Ginny rolled her eyes and engaged Hermione in a distracting conversation about Easter hols.

* * *

_Coming up next:_ Hermione and Remus get involved in the Horcrux hunt, and emotions run wild.


	22. To the Grave

"Could I use the mirror tonight?" Ginny asked, walking alongside Hermione, "just for a little while… just so I can see Harry and Ron."

Hermione looked at her friend, feeling an ache of sadness for her. "Yes, of course you can. Just come to my rooms with me after the DA meeting and-" A sharp stab of Ginny's elbow in her side cut Hermione off. She gave the girl a harsh look, "What was that for?"

Ginny was not focused on Hermione. She was staring straight ahead down the corridor. Hermione followed Ginny's eyes and saw Umbridge making her way towards them. "Oh," Hermione whispered.

Both girls fell completely silent as they passed Umbridge. The woman walked with a determined snobbishness. Hermione wrinkled her nose at the gust of flowery perfume that she inhaled as the woman passed.

"Thanks, that was a close one," Hermione whispered to Ginny, internally berating herself for speaking of such sensitive things in the middle of the corridor.

Ginny nodded, seeming to be distracted by something, "did you see that necklace Umbridge was wearing?" she murmured, "It was quite peculiar."

"Necklace?" Hermione gave Ginny a puzzled glance, "what did it look like?"

"It was large and almost- well it was fairly masculine. Not the sort of thing you would expect a woman like that to be wearing." Ginny proceeded to describe its shape and color. Hermione's expression grew more and more focused.

"We have to go back so I can see it," Hermione stated gravely, pointing down the corridor, "this way, we can cut her off before she leaves the castle."

"What's going on?" Ginny asked, jogging to keep up with Hermione's brisk pace. Hermione didn't answer, just made her way through the corridors, finally finding Umbridge near the Great Hall. Hermione and Ginny put on straight faces and walked past the woman, closely and covertly examining the locket around her neck. Again, Umbridge paid them no attention. She seemed intent on getting out of the school and back to the Ministry.

"That's it," Hermione said with fierce and ominous conviction, "That's Slytherin's locket."

* * *

"Do you see her?" Hermione asked Neville while he leaned around the corner.

"Yeah, she's right down the corridor," Neville replied, "and Luna's coming as well." He turned around, a nervous look on his face.

"Neville," Ginny began, glancing at Hermione while she spoke, "you know that you don't have to do this, right?" Hermione nodded, mimicking Ginny's sentiment. She didn't want to pull anyone into this if they weren't fully invested.

"No," he shook his head, "I'm going to do it. I want to." He straightened himself up, standing tall.

"You know that we could get in a lot of trouble for this, right?" Hermione murmured, making sure that no passing students overheard their conversation. She had put up a notice-me-not charm but it never hurt to be careful.

Just then, Luna rounded the corner. Ginny pulled the Ravenclaw into their little huddle. "We won't get caught," Neville said, glancing at Luna, "and besides, what did we ever join the DA for if we're not going to try to do something good?"

Luna smiled at Neville. "Well-put," she murmured softly.

"Is Umbridge wearing the locket?" Ginny asked the blonde.

Luna nodded, "she's coming this way, and the lunch crowd is getting out soon. We have to do it now."

Hermione took a deep breath. _Now or never,_ she told herself.

"Here," Ginny pulled out the dark coal-like stones from her robes and handed one to both Neville and Ginny. "Instant Darkness Powder. Fred and George said that it should make it easy for Hermione to get the locket."

Hermione swallowed. She desperately hoped her plan would work. She'd talked it over with Harry, Ron, and Ginny for hours the previous night, then she'd spoken to Remus about it for a while, then Ginny had written to Fred and George. Everyone was worried that Hermione and the others would get in trouble, but this was something they had to do. That Horcrux needed to be destroyed.

A dull rumble of voices echoed through the corridor. "Everyone's leaving the Great Hall," Ginny stated, "we have to go now. Hermione, do you have the fake?"

Hermione nodded, pulling it from her pocket and flashing it to Ginny. Ron and Harry had left behind the decoy locket. They had no use for it, which was lucky for this situation. "Let's go," Hermione said, pulling out her wand and casting her disillusionment charm. Neville, Luna, and Ginny quickly turned the corridor, dispersing into the crowd of students that was leaving the Great Hall. Hermione stepped forward, falling into the crowd and avoiding contact with anyone nearby. It wouldn't do to have anyone noticing the invisible student among them. Hermione had the most dangerous job here. That was why she had been so insistent on taking it. If any of them were going to get caught, it would most likely be her.

She spotted Umbridge a little ways away, and began her approach. She was directly behind Umbridge when the first cloud of smoke appeared, and the second shortly thereafter.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Umbridge gasped. Hermione could already see the woman's temper flaring.

"I don't know, ma'am, but I'll be damned if I don't find out…" Filch grumbled, stalking into the crowd of students.

The large corridor was quickly dissolving into darkness. Fred and George's product was surprisingly potent. Hermione knew that she had to make her move now before even she couldn't see.

She stepped closer to the woman, raised her wand, and whispered a soft "_Confundo_." Luckily, Umbridge was far too focused on the rising smoke to notice the spell. A dazed look suddenly clouded the old toad's eyes, and Hermione knew her spell had been successful.

As lightly as she could, Hermione unclasped the Horcrux from around the woman's neck, frowning at the strong smelling perfume that assaulted her nose. When the locket came undone, Hermione caught it and stowed it safely in the pocket of her robes. Just holding it in her hand she could feel it's ominous dark magic. It was definitely the real thing.

Students were screaming and giggling all over. Hermione momentarily felt bad for all the younger years who were caught in such frightening darkness. She even fumbled as she pulled the fake locket from her pocket and tried to clasp it around Umbridge's neck. Her hands were shaking and she couldn't see a thing, but somehow she did it. With a shaky breath, she stepped away from Umbridge, carefully making her way through the crowd and away from the ruckus. Eventually, the smoke cleared up as she reached its maximum radius. There were students everywhere. Luckily, the Darkness Powder had attracted an even bigger crowd than before. Hopefully the staff would decide that this was all a prank or a marketing scheme by Fred and George, who would happily take credit for supplying their products to some innocent third years.

Her disillusionment was still active, but it would fade away soon. She started at a run away from the crowd, all the while grasping the Horcrux tightly within her pocket. Finally, she made it to the familiar door into hers and Remus' rooms. She opened the door and slipped inside. Once within the safety of the private quarters, she dropped her Disillusionment Charm.

Remus was pacing in front of the fireplace, but turned around just as she entered. She could see the tremendous tension fall away from his face when he saw her triumphant smile. He froze, his eyes fixed on her. Hermione pulled the locket from her robes, grinning as she displayed it to him.

"Thank Merlin," he breathed, stepping forward and enfolding her in a quick hug. "It went well?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "without a hitch."

He grinned, taking the Horcrux from her hands and inspecting it closely. "I can feel it…" he mused, his expression taking on a temporary darkness.

"I could too," she said darkly.

Just then a knock on the door came. Remus' eyes grew wide.

"It's just Ginny," Hermione informed him, opening the door for her friend.

"You've got it?" Ginny whispered excitedly, eyeing the locket in Remus' hand as the door shut behind her.

Hermione nodded, a small smile on her face. "We did it." Ginny let out a whoop and hugged Hermione.

"Now we just have to destroy it," Remus said darkly. Both girls dropped their grins, sharing a meaningful look.

"Who knows how dangerous that'll be…" Ginny mused darkly.

_Well,_ Hermione though to herself, _there's only one way to find out._

* * *

It was a brilliant idea that Ron had somehow come up with. Hermione had to admit, she'd never given her friend enough credit. But now here they were beneath Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and Ronald of all people had thought to use a Basilisk fang.

"Are you sure you have it memorized correctly?" Remus asked as they approached the ornate door to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Yeah," Hermione replied, reciting the code of hissing sounds that Harry had demonstrated for her only an hour earlier. Ginny, Remus, and Hermione had spoken to Harry and Ron through the mirrors, telling them of their success and asking about the next step. Ron's idea had led them to where they were now, seeking out the skeleton of the Chamber's great Basilisk.

Hermione had to admit that it was downright terrifying to be in the Chamber of Secrets after all the stories she'd heard. However, she knew that this experience was much worse for Ginny, who was looking ashen and shaky. "You alright, Gin?" she put a hand on the redhead's arm.

"I'm fine," Ginny nodded, "let's just get this over with quickly." Hermione could see the depths of memories just behind Ginny's eyes. She was reliving a terrifying part of her childhood, and Hermione hated that she hadn't forced her to stay back. Alas, Ginny Weasley was a Gryffindor through and through. She wouldn't have allowed them to leave her behind when they went to destroy the Horcrux.

"Here we are," Remus announced, stopping in front of the stone door. It was large and dusty, with an engraving of two stone snakes tangled together. "Ready?" Remus asked Hermione.

She took a deep breath and recited the Parseltongue Harry had taught her, watching in amazement as the door began to open. From her left, Remus grasped her hand tightly in his.

The trio stepped through, entering the Chamber. Hermione could hear a sharp intake of breath from Ginny's side. She absolutely hated that Ginny was having to relive all of this. Her possession by Riddle was something she rarely talked about, only once or twice with Hermione in all these years. "Alright?" Hermione asked, watching Ginny closely. She nodded mutely, her mouth set in a grim line.

"There it is," Remus muttered, pointing straight ahead, to the skeleton of the colossal beast.

Approaching the dead menace was a strange experience. Hermione could clearly remember her run-in with the Basilisk in her second year. It had been wholly terrifying, and as the young bookworm that she was, even more terrifying to wake up after being petrified for weeks and finding out how many classes she had missed. She shivered in the cold breeze of the room.

Remus was watching both of them warily. After a moment, he appeared to decide that he would be the one to do it, and stepped forward. He removed a single fang from the Basilisk's giant jaw and stepped back. Hermione sprung into action then, extracting the Horcrux from her robes and placing it on the ground. She stepped back, clenching her sweaty palms.

"Watch out," Remus said, "I don't know what's going to happen."

Hermione and Ginny both took another step backwards, each of them holding their wands at the ready.

It felt almost like Hermione was watching it in slow motion; Remus stepped towards the locket cautiously yet dangerously, raising the his hand that held the fang, poised to bring it down on the gleaming locket. However, just as he began to move his arm, a loud crack sounded, and a dark smoke erupted from the locket.

Remus was knocked backwards by a sudden torrent of wind. He fell to the floor. Hermione took an automatic step forward, but Ginny stopped her. The ominous smoke was taking a shape. Hermione watched with awe as the smoke became some sort of specter, an almost-person was forming before them.

She realized with a gasp that the person was Sirius Black. It was a younger, more put-together version of the man, but it was definitely him. Remus was shuddering, the fang still clasped in his hand.

The apparition began to speak, his voice similar but slightly off from the voice that had once belonged to Sirius. "How did you let this happen to me, Remus?" Sirius snarled accusingly, "You let me die, you let me suffer in Azkaban. You were the reason for all my suffering," Sirius was sneering, and he looked more like his cousin Bellatrix than anyone else in that moment, "and now you're forcing _her_ to suffer," he pointed at Hermione. She was frozen in place, as was Remus, "she didn't want to marry you. She didn't want to marry a _monster_."

Her mind had, for one or two seconds, tricked her into thinking that Sirius was really standing in front of her, but when he said these harsh, biting words, she knew better. Sirius would never say something like that. "Remus, it's not real!" she yelled pointlessly. Remus was still on the ground, staring up at the apparition with a horrified look on his face. He didn't even acknowledge her shout.

"Don't you see, Remus?" the almost-Sirius snarled, "one day she's going to die because of you, just like I did." His voice held an icy conviction that made her shiver. "You're going to bite her," Sirius growled, "or you're going to let Voldemort get her. You'll ruin her, just like you ruined me. You can't even take care of Harry anymore," the strange wind seemed to strengthen at that moment. Hermione stumbled backward, as did Ginny.

The false-Sirius didn't look very much like Sirius anymore. He looked dark and monstrous, more fearsome than anything she'd ever remembered him as. "You were supposed to do what I can't do anymore! You were supposed to watch Harry! You're going to let him die just like you're doing to all of us!"

Hermione snapped out of it at that moment. "Remus, please! It's not real!" she shouted over the wind and the apparition's voice, "Kill it, Remus! You need to kill it!"

While her words had been useless before, they now seemed to awaken Remus from his daze. His eyes snapped to Hermione for a split second before they focused on the Horcrux. He lunged forward powerfully, bringing the Basilisk fang down on the locket with a shattering crack. Hermione felt an sinister chill run through her body.

In the next second, the apparition dissolved, and the smoke dispersed into thin air. The wind died down and Hermione's frantically beating heart slowed. It was over.

Remus was kneeling on the ground, his hands still clutching the fang, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. Upon peering at the Horcrux, Hermione saw it's shattered windows. It looked dead. There were only a few moments of stunned silence before Hermione stepped forward, kneeling beside Remus. She gently pulled him away from the Horcrux and removed the fang from his scarred hand, setting it on the ground.

Remus looked up at her then. Their eyes met and she could see the depths of doubt that had been planted in his mind. She shifted forward, extending her arms around his neck and pulling him into an embrace.

"It's not real," she whispered, her eyes welling with unshed tears, "none of that's real. None of that's going to happen." She knew that despite her quiet volume, Ginny could hear her in the quiet chamber. She couldn't sense any movements from where Ginny stood, and assumed that her friend was just waiting, giving them a moment.

Belatedly, Remus lifted his arms from his sides and wrapped them around her back. "I know," he murmured, "It wasn't real. It just-" he shuddered, his voice breaking off.

Hermione felt an ache in her chest. She pulled him closer to her, running a hand through the hair at the base of his neck idly. "You did well," she whispered, "thank-you."

It was only a second or two before she released him, standing from the ground. He stood up after, still looking at the locket, examining it. He seemed embarrassed, not wanting to look at Ginny. Hermione glanced at the redhead and saw Ginny smiling sadly.

Remus bent over and picked up the Horcrux, which was now no more than a shattered Slytherin heirloom. He placed it in his pocket along with the Basilisk fang. Hermione turned to look at the giant skeleton, "Maybe we should take some more fangs," she suggested, "they might be useful in the future."

"Good idea," Ginny spoke up, striding towards the skeleton and bending to retrieve a fang for herself. Hermione followed and did the same. Remus ended up taking another two and hiding them within his robes.

"Let's get out of here," Hermione said with a shiver.

Ginny looked around the room with a grim frown as the trio was leaving the chamber, "I hope I never have to come back here again," she said grimly.

Hermione nodded in agreement, watching Remus' back as he proceeded in front of them. "It's over now," she murmured.

* * *

_Coming up next_: As Easter Hols approach, duty calls for Remus...


	23. Love's Coming

"Severus," Remus greeted the Headmaster as he entered the large office.

"Lupin," the dour man replied, motioning to a seat before his desk. Remus sat down, still finding it strange to see Severus sitting where Dumbledore once sat. "We have some business to discuss," Severus murmured, his expression one of intense contemplation.

Remus immediately knew that he wasn't going to like what Severus was about to tell him. He sat up stiffly in his chair. "What's going on?"

Severus seemed to pick around for the right words before he spoke. "Before his… _passing_... Albus informed me about your time spent with the German werewolf pack this previous summer."

Remus inhaled deeply, comprehension dawning on him as a flood of memories came back to him. Of course this was about the werewolves. He knew that it would all come back to haunt him. His summer spent in the presence of that pack had initially been for protection – to make sure that Voldemort didn't get them on his side and, if he could establish good relationships, to get the men willing to fight for the Order. Dumbledore had warned him that the time would come when he'd have to go back there. Remus had almost forgotten about it.

He looked up, meeting Severus' dark eyes. "I'm going back, aren't I?"

Severus nodded, his expression masked.

Remus turned his head, glaring at the ground as he remembered with a wave of dread how horrible it had been near the end. He'd almost _died_ the last time he was there, and all because of a petty fight with another pack member. He hated the idea of going back, but he knew that he would do it. It was his duty, and he had to finish what he started. Besides, something told him that Severus had already thought all of this through. He picked up his head; "I assume you have a plan already?"

Severus nodded, still not speaking. He obviously didn't want to anger Remus, who was in a position of potential outlash. They'd developed a fragile relationship during the course of this year. It wouldn't do for something like this to tear it apart.

"What about Hermione?" Remus asked, eyeing Severus carefully. As he said this, a million thoughts flew through his mind. He couldn't be away for too long, because they still had to fulfill the fortnightly contract. Plus, his whole purpose in this arrangement was her protection from the law. It wasn't like he could protect her while he was off in Germany.

"You will be gone for twelve days," Severus spoke articulately, "just enough so that you may still fulfill the requirements set by the Ministry." Remus thought that if Severus didn't have such a pallid complexion he might have been blushing.

"Will she be safe here? What about my classes? Won't someone notice I'm gone and try to get to her?" Remus narrowed his eyes, wondering if Severus had actually thought this through at all. There were so many problems with him just getting up and leaving Hogwarts in the middle of the year.

Severus put a hand up, "Silence, Lupin." Remus shifted his jaw. The dour man continued, "I've spoken to Arthur Weasley. He and his family are already staying at Grimmauld Place, as you already know. Much of the Order will also be there over the upcoming holiday."

Remus understood. "The Holiday is two weeks long. You mean for me to go then."

Severus nodded grimly.

Remus had to admit, the plan now seemed to be fairly solid, but there was still one problem. "What if I don't come back?"

The Headmaster's face was emotionless as he spoke, "Should that be the case, she will remain in hiding at Headquarters. The Ministry won't find her there, and she won't have to remarry." He leaned back in his chair, pausing for a moment. "Perhaps she'll be able to find Potter and Weasley and run away with them."

Remus frowned, studying the carvings on Dumbledore's old desk. After a long stretch of silence, he spoke, "Alright. I'll go tell her."

Severus nodded absently, already moving his attention onto something else. Remus left the office silently.

* * *

Hermione did not like Remus' news. He'd told her with a grim expression that made the whole ordeal seem even more doomed. She dreaded the thought of Remus going away for nearly two weeks alone, and on top of that there was the possibility of death or serious injury. She didn't know what she would do if he never came back. How would she move on? He'd become so much of her life. It was frightening to consider the possibility of losing him. Remus had done his best to reassure her that all would be well, but she could see through his forced confidence. He was worried too.

By the time Easter Hols came around, she was a mess. Remus knew this, and tried to make it up to her with promises of how hard he would try to not get hurt. On the final night before his departure they had to ensure that they'd be able to stick to the Ministry obligations. Remus had pulled Hermione into their bedroom shortly after dinner. They stayed in bed for a long time, an air of heavy emotion making the time so much more meaningful.

He kissed her longingly. His touches were earnest and tender. Hermione watched him through the scant light of their bedroom. "Why do I feel like you're saying goodbye?" She whispered, her voice carrying through the room, into the darkness. It prompted him to stop his movement above her.

He met her eyes, a fierce determination in them. "I _will_ be coming back, Hermione." She held his glance sternly, trying to not start tearing up. "This is just in case," he added after a pause, dipping his head to kiss her sweetly. She remembered those words, repeating them in her mind until she fell asleep hours later.

When she woke up in the morning, he was already gone. She went to the Great Hall early, not wanting to stay in their empty rooms much longer. While she sat at the scarcely populated Gryffindor table, she thought about how sudden this had happened. One moment Remus was there and they were together, then the next moment he was gone. As she reluctantly ate her eggs and toast Hermione wondered what he was doing at the moment. Maybe he'd already located the pack. Maybe they'd welcome him back like an old friend. Or maybe they would kill him on sight. Hermione suddenly wasn't feeling very hungry any more.

"Alright there?" Neville asked, Ginny walking beside him. They both seemed significantly happier than she'd seen them in a long time. The opportunity to take a break from Hogwarts was a cheerful thing for nearly everyone, especially in times like these.

Hermione nodded, knowing that she couldn't talk about Remus' departure in front of Neville. Ginny knew about it, and rubbed Hermione's shoulder sympathetically. "I'm just feeling a little tired today," she explained uselessly.

The trio at breakfast together before splitting up as the departure of the Hogwarts Express grew closer. Just like over the Christmas Holiday, Ginny and Hermione weren't going to be taking the train. Hermione was glad for this; she would much rather travel by Apparition or Portkey than endure the long train ride. The journey would give her far too much time to think about what was happening to Remus.

By noon the castle was just about barren. Hermione and Ginny made their way to the front of the school at the time they'd arranged to meet. Just outside the Great Hall they found Kingsley and Tonks. Tonks gave each girl and excited hug while Kingsley shook their hands firmly.

"You girls ready to go?" Tonks asked, her hair a bright shade of bubblegum pink.

Ginny nodded contentedly in response. Hermione was a bit more solemn. Tonks and Kingsley both seemed to notice Hermione's mood but didn't say anything. She suspected that Ginny would explain it to everyone who didn't know once she was out of earshot back at Headquarters.

Hermione and Ginny walked with Tonks and Kingsley out of the school and towards the gate. From there they apparated, Ginny with Tonks and Hermione with Kingsley. Hermione's nervous nausea from before was even more heightened by the twisting pull of Apparition. She paused once they had landed and took a few deep breaths to steady herself.

Number 12, Grimmauld Place was the same as always. Hermione winced as Tonks tripped in the entry hallway and awakened Mrs. Black's portrait.

"FILTH! MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS INVADING MY HOUSEHOLD! STAINS OF DISHONOR ON THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"

The offending portrait was silence by the combined efforts of Kingsley and Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley entered a moment later, hugging both of them tearily. "I'm so glad to see the both of you. What with Ron and Harry gone I just couldn't imagine not having either of you around for the holiday."

"Thank you for allowing me to stay here," Hermione chimed, "for awhile I was worried that I'd have to stay at Hogwarts over the holiday."

"You know we wouldn't have let that happen to you, dear," Mrs. Weasley waved her off.

Everyone soon made their way to the basement for dinner. Hermion found herself seated between Fred and Ginny. Ginny was in a good enough mood that Hermione thought it might just last her through the rest of the year. She joked with the twins and Tonks throughout most of the meal. Ginny was especially happy when Mr. Weasley announced that Charlie would be coming in from Romania in a few days for a visit. Hermione tried to put on her best cheery expression, but she knew that she wasn't fooling anyone.

About halfway through the meal, Fred and George leaned in towards Hermione and Ginny, dropping their voices and making sure that no one else was paying attention.

"How did it go?" Fred asked.

"Did our _products_ help?" George whispered, quirking an eyebrow.

Ginny grinned, "It went perfectly. Without a hitch."

Hermione nodded in agreement, "thanks for the help. We really appreciate it."

Fred and George were extraordinarily proud of themselves. They were both grinning from ear to ear. "You're still not going to tell us what it was that you were stealing from the old toad?"

"Can't, sorry," Ginny said sympathetically.

"You'll figure out eventually," Hermione added. They'd trusted the twins enough to let them know the basics of what was going on, but it would be foolish to tell them about the Horcruxes or the locket when it wasn't absolutely necessary.

Hermione returned to her dinner, finding herself to be very tired by the time the meal ended. She helped Mrs. Weasley and Ginny clean up afterwards anyway. Shortly into their washing of the dishes Tonks entered, insisting that she could relieve Hermione of her duty. "You've had a long day," Tonks said, ushering her out of the kitchen.

Without a job or any desire to go join the others as they lounged in the drawing room, Hermione retreated upstairs and tried to distract herself. She started with a book, but found that she couldn't focus at all and was forced to read and re-read several paragraphs. After abandoning that particular distraction, Hermione finally decided to just lay in bed and wait until she could fall asleep. Ginny would probably want to be with her family as much as possible, so Hermione didn't expect her to retire to their shared bedroom until late in the night. She resigned herself to staring up at the ceiling, thinking lonely thoughts and wondering if Remus was okay. As she drifted off to sleep, one last thought floated through her mind:

_Maybe I'm in love with him. _

* * *

**Author's note**: The title of this chapter references a poem of the same name by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. I think of that poem a lot while writing this story.

Don't worry, we won't be playing around with unspoken feelings much longer. Believe it or not, the end of this fic is actually near. We still have a good number of chapters left, but we're definitely close. Please review, it helps me write!

_Coming up next_: Easter break draws to a close and Hermione awaits Remus' return.


	24. Reprieve

The Holiday seemed to take forever to pass. Hermione spent her days studying and slowly making her way through what remained of the Black library. Most of the other residents of the house knew what was going on. Thus, they kept away from her, understanding that she was in an altogether foul mood. Occasionally, she cheered up a little and joined Ginny and the others in the drawing room while they played exploding snap or Fred and George debuted a few new products.

When Charlie finally arrived, Hermione's mood was lifted a little more. Ginny, Fred, and George were ecstatic to see their brother, and Mrs. and Mr. Weasley were very glad to have him back. Hermione noted that even Tonks was exceedingly happy to see him. She'd had a few suspicions about the two of them after seeing them over Christmas. Now, her suspicions were only confirmed when Ginny informed her that she had caught the pair snogging in the kitchen.

All in all, Hermione managed to enjoy some of her time at Headquarters, but she could often be found moping or working too hard in an effort to distract herself. She simply didn't want to have to think about what would happen if Remus didn't come back, and the moment of truth was coming closer and closer.

Finally, the day came. Hermione woke up at about six in the morning, unable to sleep any longer. She took a shower and made her way down to the drawing room, settling herself down with a book and some tea. The book was mainly for show; Hermione wasn't able to concentrate enough to read it. She simply sat in an uncomfortable and creaking armchair and thought.

There was one more day left before they had to go back to Hogwarts. She and Remus had to fulfill the fortnightly requirement tonight or face the wrath of the Ministry. Hermione didn't like to think that if Remus missed tonight then their marriage would be dissolved because of a lack of sex. It just sounded terrible… not to mention embarassing.

Hermione sat around for at least two hours before Mrs. Weasley came downstairs, convincing Hermione to help her prepare breakfast in an effort to keep her mind off of other things. It was quite strange how everyone knew all about her and Remus, and they could likely tell how attached to him she was. On the bright side, at least no one was telling her she shouldn't feel this way. She had an idea that if Ron were here, he'd be showing signs of tremendous amounts of disapproval.

"Wotcher, Hermione," Tonks said, sitting down next to the young Gryffindor during Breakfast. Ginny, Charlie, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were present. It seemed that Fred and George were sleeping in. "Nervous?" Tonks asked quietly, giving Hermione a concerned glance.

She nodded, a resigned look on her face. Tonks patted her shoulder in an attempt at comfort.

Hermione spent most of the day in the Drawing Room, pretending to work on some upcoming homework and essays. In truth, she was covertly checking the time every few minutes. They expected him home sometime in the evening. Mr. Weasley had told Hermione that she ought to anticipate him after dinner. Dinner came and went. He was still not back.

Hermione watched the clock as the time passed. At seven-thirty, she was nervous and none of Ginny's attempted engagements could distract her. At eight, all hopes of concentrating on something were lost. At nine, Hermione was almost in a state of complete inner turmoil. She wondered if someone would just let her take a dreamless sleep potion so she could wipe out for a few hours.

"Alright, Hermione," George entered the room with a large cardboard box in his arms, "We _happen_ to have something to distract you." She set down her potions textbook, eyeing George warily.

"And you can't say no," Fred declared, entering behind his twin, "We're not allowing it."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Ginny exclaimed from Hermione's side. Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't protest. At this point, she was in desperate need of a distraction.

"We'd like to consult with you about a few products," George explained, dropping the cardboard box.

"Ginny tells us that you're quite good with charms and potions," Fred added.

"She's quite good at everything," Ginny murmured under her breath, causing her brothers to laugh. Hermione conceded a small smile, shaking her head.

She helped the twins for a while, allowing them to show her various charmed objects and gags and helping them with their errors. Assisting Fred and George in an activity like this wasn't something Hermione would normally do, but she was desperate for a distraction, and this wasn't terribly bad. However, soon they arrived at some products that made Hermione a bit squeamish.

"It's a Trouser-Splitting Potion," Fred grinned, pulling a small vial from the box.

Hermione's eyes widened. She ignored Ginny's giggles. "That sounds terrible, and I definitely don't want to help you with that."

"Oh come on, it's harmless fun!" George said.

"Harmless fun to slip that into someone's drink and humiliate them?" She frowned at the boys. "I think that's a terrible thing to give a bunch of young Hogwarts students…" Her voice trailed off. Someone was opening the front door. She could hear the familiar creaking of the ancient house. Hermione bolted up from her chair, making her way into the entry hall and watching as the door opened.

His sandy hair was the first thing she saw as his head dipped through the doorway. A broad smile broke across Hermione's face. She watched him slip inside silently. He only looked up when the voices of Ginny and the twins carried through the hall as they came to see what was happening. Remus met her eyes and smiled tiredly. He was in one piece, no terrible injuries or bloody spots that soaked through his robes. He was here. He was safe.

She stepped forward briskly meeting him with a tight hug, locking her arms around his neck. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and chuckled contentedly. This was when Hermione remembered herself. She pulled back and smacked his shoulder, "You had me so. Bloody. Worried," she articulated each word with a hit on his shoulder.

He gave her an apologetic look, "I had to speak with Severus first."

"You couldn't have let us know?" She gestured to her and the three others who were standing behind, though she figured that it wasn't just the three Weasleys who had accumulated in the corridor now.

"He wanted to do it quickly, I wasn't there for that long," Remus explained.

Hermione shook her head but decided that it wasn't worth the argument. She pulled him into another quick hug. "I'm glad that you're okay," she whispered.

"Me too," he replied.

They pulled away from the hug and turned to see the small crowd that had materialized. Hermione blushed upon seeing all their smug grins. Her happiness wasn't even dulled by the sight of Fred remorsefully and discreetly handing George a Galleon. She simply shook her head at them and continued smiling.

"Good to have you back, Remus," Ginny said cheerily, grabbing Fred and George by the shirtsleeves, "We're just going to go back into the drawing room. You two can join us later if you'd like." Ginny's pointed look told her that she knew exactly what Hermione and Remus had to do tonight.

The entryway quickly cleared out. Hermione turned to Remus, about to open her mouth, but he cut her off, "Let's go upstairs and talk." She nodded and followed him up to his room. Remus' shoulders drooped and he fell onto the bed, letting out a tired sigh.

"Is everything okay?" Hermione inquired, sitting beside him.

"It's all fine. I'm just exhausted." He turned his head and sniffed himself not-so-discretely. "And I need to bathe."

Hermione chuckled. "Why don't you take a bath, then you can tell me all about it." She motioned towards the attached bathroom.

He sat up, look at her closely. "I was thinking that maybe you ought to join me. It wouldn't do for me to fall asleep and drown myself, after all."

She nodded with exaggerated concern, "Ah, yes, I suppose I ought to join you then."

They proceeded into the bathroom, where she was able to examine him as he undressed and she drew the bath. He didn't seem to have sustained any outstanding injuries, which she was terribly thankful for. As they got into the ornate claw footed bathtub (a staple of the Grimmauld Place décor), he explained everything.

Apparently, Remus' stay had been surprisingly calm. The pack received him with respect and appreciation. The werewolf whom he had fought with in the past was now dead. Hermione felt only a slight hint of remorse at being happy that the man was dead. After all, he _had_ almost killed Remus. Overall, the pack had been rather understanding of the reason behind Remus' visit, and many of them were already morally opposed to Voldemort's ideology and strategies. This meant that most sympathized with the Order early on. Remus built relationships and somehow managed to get the pack's leader to give his word that he would try to rally his pack in case they were needed in a battle against Voldemort's forces. After this, he had returned home, spoke to Severus, and then returned to Grimmauld Place.

"I was terribly worried about you," She admitted, shifting herself so that she was seated in front of him. The bathtub was rather big, but still didn't provide enough room for either of them to stretch out.

"I know," he murmured, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, moving closer to him and folding her legs against herself. "Not your fault." She assured.

He smiled tiredly, his eyes drifting over her body for just a fraction of a second before returning to her face. Hermione took that as all the permission she needed to lean in and kiss him. There would be time to sleep later, but at the moment they had other things to attend to.

* * *

Hermione woke up fairly late the next morning, her last morning at Grimmauld Place before returning to Hogwarts. She wasn't terribly excited about going back to school, especially with all that had been happening lately, and with people like Umbridge and the Carrows around. However, Hermione was eager to get back to her studies and prepare for her NEWTs, though something deep within her doubted that she would be able to even sit for the exams.

Shaking these sinister thoughts away, Hermione sat up in bed, examining the sleeping man beside her. Remus was facing away from her, but she could tell by his breathing that he was still asleep. Judging by his exhaustion the previous night, he would sleep late into the morning.

Hermione slowly got out of bed and scoured the room for appropriate clothes to wear. She finally decided that instead of risking the trip to hers and Ginny's bedroom, she ought to just transfigure some of Remus' things into something she could wear. After only a few moments, she was dressed appropriately enough to head downstairs. With one last glance at the still sleeping Remus, she left the room.

It appeared that it was already fairly late in the morning, because Fred, George, Charlie, and Tonks were all awake and sitting in the drawing room. From what Hermione knew of all of them, they tended to sleep in fairly late. A quickly cast _Tempus_ told her that it was half ten. She'd missed breakfast, but she didn't mind terribly.

"Hermione," Ginny grinned suspiciously upon spotting her friend, "had a good night?"

Hermione tried to stamp down her blush, "It was fine, thank-you."

Fred and George looked highly amused. "Did you get enough sleep?" George asked.

"Have you tired Remus out?" Fred continued.

She simply rolled her eyes and made her way towards the kitchen to get some tea. On the way out, she made eye contact with a winking Tonks and an uncomfortable Charlie.

Remus woke up about an hour later than Hermione. He'd been hungry, and it seemed that Mrs. Weasley hadn't started any plans for lunch, so Hermione and Remus decided that they wanted to commandeer the meal.

They decided to make sandwiches for the whole household, neither in a dull enough mood to consider that this decision was because neither was quite proficient enough to cook like Mrs. Weasley or the house elves at Hogwarts.

"Chicken?" Remus asked, levitating some leftover chicken from the stew Mrs. Weasley had made the other night. Hermione considered it and nodded, allowing Remus to drop the meat on the counter.

"This kitchen is rather barbaric," Hermione mused, noting the complete lack of her familiar Muggle appliances.

"Well it's not like the Blacks would want anything reminiscent of Muggles in their house," Remus commented, sliding past her so that he could grab the bread.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully, fetching some utensils from the drying rack. All the china in this house seemed absolutely ancient. She considered how much the silverware she was holding cost as she cut the chicken.

It was a delight to find that her and Remus worked quite well together as a cooking team. Hermione also enjoyed the domesticity of all of this. She'd never really been in anything other than the Hogwarts environment with Remus since their marriage, and that had worried her in the past. However, now it seemed as if everything about them was normal, even if it were only for a moment or two.

Most of all, Hermione enjoyed how carefree Remus was today. He'd almost become a different person since she'd last seen him. He was lighthearted and cheery. In the middle of all their weaving around each other in the kitchen, Remus even went so far in his cheerfulness as to pull her into a little dance. Swaying as he reached above her head to a cupboard. Hermione grinned and allowed him to twirl her once he'd finished. It was only when they heard the clearing of a throat behind them that they stopped.

Hermione turned to see George and Ginny standing in the doorway of the kitchen. It seemed like it was going to be an awkward moment until Remus let out a huff of laughter. Hermione chuckled and raised an eyebrow at the two gingers before turning around and resuming her sandwich making. She couldn't see the faces of George and Ginny, but she knew that they were both very amused.

For most of the rest of the day, Hermione was happy to admire how cheerful Remus was acting. She knew it wouldn't last once they had to return to Hogwarts tomorrow, but she could enjoy it for now.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Reviews are very appreciated… and I always like to know what you guys want/predict to happen as we approach the ending.

_Coming up next:_ Harry and Ron find themselves in a bit of trouble.


	25. In the Dead of the Night

The return to Hogwarts was somber, but not terribly difficult for Hermione. She found herself once again immersed in schoolwork and spending a majority of her time preparing for NEWTs. She even convinced the DA seventh years to have a few study sessions with her in the library. Remus was also in full support of her studying endeavors, giving her constant help and advice based off of his NEWT experience and the DADA curriculum in particular.

Time flew by, but eventually she was thrown back into the harsh reality of the war.

"Hermione!" a voice called quietly, causing the young witch to sit up in bed rather quickly. She turned to her right, finding that Remus was still asleep, then looked around the room, confused at the noise that had woken her up.

"Hermione!" it called again, and she recognized the voice as Harry's. She leapt out of bed quickly and opened the top drawer of the dresser, where her half of Sirius' old mirror had been placed.

"Harry?" she gasped, recognizing the familiar face through a bloody gash on his cheek and a very bruised eye. Something had happened. "What's going on? Are you safe?" She forgot herself in this panicked moment, and didn't realize that she had probably just awoken a slumbering Remus.

"Yeah, we're fine now," Harry breathed, flashing the mirror to Ron, who sat beside him. They were inside a house that she guessed to be Shell Cottage. Ron looked slightly roughened up but not nearly as bad as Harry, at least from what she could see. However, she did notice that he was shaking quite a bit.

"Do you have time to talk?" Harry continued, searching her face and the background.

She glanced over her shoulder, noting that Remus was groggily awake, sitting up in bed and looking at her curiously. "Yeah," she affirmed, nodding and moving back to the bed so she could sit down, "Remus is here."

Harry and Ron both looked uncomfortable when Hermione got back into bed and Remus glanced over her shoulder. They'd never actually been faced with evidence of the fact that Hermione and Remus slept together every night. Nevertheless, Harry nodded. "That's fine. He should know what happened as well."

Remus could now get a clear look at the boys, and she could hear him stiffen slightly once he saw Harry's injuries. "Who did that to you?" He asked, just a hint of ferocity in his tone. Hermione didn't blame him; she felt like she could tear someone apart for doing whatever this was to Harry and Ron.

"We got captured," Ron explained, leaning back into the view of the mirror, "some Snatchers got us… they took us to Malfoy Manor."

Hermione blanched. Malfoy Manor certainly sounded like a potential hideout for Voldemort. She didn't want to think about the possibility that the boys had encountered Voldemort, but they were certainly alright now, so nothing too terrible had happened.

Harry settled in to begin explaining everything. Apparently, he had figured that he ought to Glamour himself so that they didn't know it was Harry Potter they'd captured. Thus, Voldemort wasn't called there. However, the Malfoys along with Bellatrix Lestrange and a few others were there.

"Bellatrix did that to you?" Hermione asked, wincing at the idea of the crazed woman. Poor Harry, having to face her after everything she'd done to Sirius.

Harry nodded, "and she tortured Ron." He glanced over at the redhead beside him sadly.

Ron didn't give any indication of the pain he had just endured, aside from his shaking, of course. Hermione realized that this was a side effect of the Cruciatus curse. She felt her heart wrench. "But Hermione," Ron began, a determined expression overcoming his grimace, "She wanted information about where we got the sword. She thought we'd taken something from her vault at Gringotts."

"And?" she was confused at where this was going. She glanced at Remus, who looked just as perplexed.

"She was frantic about it," Harry added, "well, more frantic than usual." He and Ron shared a look before he turned back to Hermione and Remus. "Something must be inside that vault… something important… something she doesn't want us to have."

"A Horcrux," Hermione finished, taking a shaky breath.

Harry nodded grimly, "That's what we think."

Hermione leaned back against the headboard of the bed, thinking over all of this. Many questions popped into her mind. She voiced the first: "How did you get out of there?"

Harry and Ron both adopted darker looks. Harry began to explain. "Dobby saved us. He brought us back to Shell Cottage along with Mr. Ollivander and Griphook, one of the goblins from Gringotts, but…" the bespectacled young man trailed off painfully.

"Dobby's dead," Ron stated, "Bellatrix managed to do it just as we were leaving."

Hermione winced, her heart aching for the house elf that deserved so much more. Her eyes fell onto the duvet in front of her. Nobody spoke for a few moments, until Remus gently murmured that he was sorry. Hermione didn't know if it was directed at just her or at all of them, she just turned to him and gave him a small smile.

"How did they catch you?" Remus asked.

Ron and Harry shared a look. They seemed to be communicating silently about something. Before Hermione could ask what was going on, Harry was speaking. "There's a taboo on You-Know-Who's name." It looked like it irritated Harry that he couldn't say Voldemort. That had always been his way of showing his bravery. "I said his name… and they found us."

Hermione furrowed her brow, thinking this over for a moment. Aside from the obvious questions she had over how this sort of magic was possible, she wondered what sort of danger this could have caused in the past. They'd been saying Voldemort's name for _months_, even longer in Harry's case. Why had they never attracted Death Eaters before? Perhaps the taboo was only created recently? Perhaps the only time they had ever said Voldemort was within the wards of Hogwarts?

Almost unwillingly, Hermione's mind brought forward a hazy memory of the Christmas Holdiay, shortly before the Death Eater attack. She remembered a conversation with Ginny about her relationship with Remus. Despite the lack of significance of her words, she could remember them clearly and vividly.

_"You're right. We haven't talked about the war or – you know – _Voldemort_ at all lately."_

That had been only seconds before the Death Eaters appeared. Hermione dropped the mirror onto the duvet, stricken with the realization of what she'd done.

"Oh my god." She whispered, staring ahead blankly.

"What?" Remus asked.

"Hermione?" Harry's voice called.

She shook her head, unable to come up with words to explain what had happened.

"Remus, pick me up so I can speak to Hermione," Harry said. Remus obliged hesitantly. Hermione watched as Harry spoke to her in complete seriousness.

"We figured that one of us must have said his name on that day," he explained. "Hermione, you need to understand that you are in no way responsible for what happened."

"What are you talking about?" Remus cut in worriedly.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to answer Remus' question. She kept her eyes focused on Harry. "How could I not be responsible? I said his name," her eyes were still wide with the realization of everything, "I was the reason that the Death Eaters came in the first place. I'm the reason he's dead."

"Dumbledore," Remus murmured, the realization coming to him. Hermione looked at him, fear and self-hatred filling her.

"Hermione," Harry said sharply, "somebody would have said it eventually. I'm sure that if you hadn't said it first Ginny or I would have done so any minute afterwards."

"Or me," Ron added solemnly.

Hermione placed her head in her hands, screwing her eyes shut tightly. Remus began to rub slow, reassuring circles on her back. She leaned into his touch, grateful that he hadn't recoiled from her at the realization that she had essentially caused Dumbledore's death.

Harry and Ron had fallen silent. Remus seemed to decide that this conversation was over. "I think Hermione should talk to you two more in the morning," he suggested.

She wasn't looking at the mirror, but she guessed that Harry and Ron must have nodded or something. "I could never blame this on you, Hermione," was the last thing she heard from Harry before silence fell upon the bedroom. Remus returned the mirror to the drawer where it belonged before returning to bed.

Hermione looked up, meeting his eyes. He was silent for a moment, obviously looking for proper words. Eventually, he settled against the headboard beside her. "You know, for awhile I blamed myself for James and Lily's death," he stated matter-of-factly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why would you do that?"

He sighed, "I could have pushed to have been the new Secret Keeper instead of Peter. I could have realized where Peter's loyalties laid. I could have at the very least trusted that Sirius would never do something like that."

"That wasn't your fault," she muttered, "you weren't obligated to know which one betrayed them, nor were you obligated to be the Secret Keeper."

"I know that now," he replied, "but I didn't back then, and I blamed myself, and I ended up isolating myself from society and more importantly from Harry. I should have been in Harry's life, but I blamed myself too much."

Hermione gave him a sidelong glance, "so I shouldn't blame myself either," she concluded.

"You shouldn't," he confirmed, "you should just keep fighting this war as you normally would. Don't let it hinder you."

"You're too nice to me," she breathed, smiling lightly and sliding back into bed. "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I'm right," he smiled, moving to lay beside her, "now let's go back to sleep."

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was a tense affair. The whole of the Hufflepuff table seemed to be in a general state of distress. Hermione didn't understand why until the _Prophet_ came. The headline of the front page boldly stated the news:

**You-Know-Who Attacks Muggleborn Families**

Beneath the headline was a photo of a menacing dark mark lighting up the night sky. Hermione didn't have to read very far into the article to grasp the entirety of the situation. The family of Bethany Lewis, a current sixth year Hufflepuff, had been attacked. Her parents had both died. She wasn't present at breakfast, but her close friends were, and they looked miserable for their friend. Hermione felt terrible for the poor girl and very disturbed at the idea that this could have been her own parents. She'd sent them to Austrailia, of course, but if she hadn't...

It seemed to have come from out of nowhere; Bethany and her family were rather inconspicuous, not the type that anyone would expect Voldemort to attack. Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that hers had simply been the first family Voldemort's Death Eaters could get their hands on.

The war was only going to get worse from here, and it seemed like the end was coming very soon. Hermione knew that action had to be taken before it was too late. She decided to devote her time after classes to figure out what she, Harry, and Ron were going to do about these last Horcruxes. She feared that if they waited long it would soon be too late.

It was a Friday afternoon, and although she had previously planned to study for NEWTs after Potions class got out, she decided that this matter was more important. Even though NEWTs were only a few weeks away, it was clear that the war – a matter of life or death – was far more significant. She needed to have a serious conversation with Harry and Ron.

The conversation ended up lasting throughout most of the afternoon. Hermione skipped dinner, the boys hid out in one of the bedrooms of Shell Cottage to speak with her. They talked about something called the Deathly Hallows, the recent Death Eater attack, and the possible Horcrux in Bellatrix's Gringotts vault. By the end of the conversation, many issues had been resolved.

Firstly, Hermione had come to a semi-clear understanding of what the Deathly Hallows were believed to be. Harry's visions from Voldemort had led him to believe that the Dark Lord was in search of the Elder Wand. Ron had informed them of the traditional story behind the Hallows, and Hermione had referred to her copy of _The_ _Tales of Beedle the Bard_ for more information. In addition, the boys had spoken to Mr. Ollivander (also staying at Shell Cottage for the time being) and taken his input on the wand into consideration. Hermione concluded that it was quite possible that these mysterious objects did exist, but she would have to research further in the future.

Secondly, they discussed the recent attack on Bethany Lewis' family. Hermione informed the boys of the general atmosphere that morning. The trio decided that now more than ever, they had to band together and work as hard as they could to get ahead before it was too late. It was a grim outlook, but at the moment it was necessary.

Finally, Bellatrix's vault was brought up. They weighted the chances that there was actually a Horcrux within the heavily guarded area. The eventual consensus was that they might as well check it out. With the urgency of matters there wasn't any room for taking risks. Every possible hiding place had to be explored. It was with this in mind that the trio hatched a plan.

In all her years of life, Hermione had never expected that she would one day be breaking into Gringotts disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange. Oh, how things change.

* * *

_Coming up next:_ The trio's plan is put into action, and the aftermath is disastrous.


	26. The Beginning of the End

It was not soon after the initial plan was formed that the heist was set to take place. As April drew to a close, the day finally came that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were to break into Gringotts.

Hermione woke up on that particular Saturday morning feeling as if there was something heavy rolling over in the pit of her stomach. She knew that it was silly not to tell Remus or Ginny about it, but she and the boys had agreed that they didn't want anyone else to be put in danger with this. In the back of her mind, Hermione also worried that Remus would try to shut the whole operation down if she ever told him.

Therefore, Hermione and the boys had agreed that it would be smartest if she simply snuck out that night when Remus was sleeping, leaving him an ambiguous note so that he didn't completely freak out. She nervously went through her day, preparing for all the possible outcomes of the evening. One of the biggest challenges that had loomed while planning the evening was how they were actually going to get into the vault. With Griphook's help, they had hatched a complex plan, but this plan just happened to require Polyjuice Potion.

Hermione felt extremely guilty for what she had done in order to get the potion. Breaking into Snape's stores in her second year was something she'd always felt conflicted about, yet here she was, doing the same thing again. _It's for the greater good_, was the mantra she repeated the whole way through.

Finally, the evening came. Hermione and Remus had a quiet afternoon in which she studied and he graded papers in front of the fireplace. Soon enough, he wandered off to bed. Hermione waited patiently for him to fall asleep, relieved when she heard the steady, even breathing.

She climbed out of bed, put her robes on, and then wrote her note.

_Remus,_

_I don't expect you to have to read this because I should be back before you wake up, but just in case: please don't worry about me. _

_Hermione_

She considered confessing her undying love for him in case she didn't make it back but decided that it was a bit premature for that.

The castle was quiet in the dead of the night. It was very late, but luckily Gringotts always had one or two Goblins on duty at night. This was why they'd chosen to do this at night; there would be very little security at the bank.

Hermione was glad that there were no patrolling prefects or teachers around to catch her leaving the school. The last thing she needed was to be discovered by Draco Malfoy or Pansy Parkinson or someone equally as terrible.

She took the passageway out of the castle that led to Honeydukes. It was the same passage that Harry and Ron had used to leave the castle so long ago. Hermione felt eerily unsettled the whole time she was traveling through the dark tunnel, pinning it on the fact that she was somewhat claustrophobic.

Once she'd arrived in Honeydukes, she tiptoed her way to the exit, unlocked the door, and slipped outside. She'd arranged with Harry and Ron to meet her in the small alley behind Honeydukes. She proceeded to the alley quietly, and was surprised to find that it was empty. The boys should have already arrived…

Suddenly, she saw a rift in the space in front of her as an invisibility cloak was shed onto the ground. Harry and Ron stood before her, smiles on both of their faces. Hermione rushed forward and engulfed them in a rib-crushing hug.

"It's been so long," she murmured into Harry's shoulder, trying to fight back tears. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you're both okay."

Lifting her head for a moment, she inspected the pair of them closely. Harry's bruises and cuts had been healed, and Ron looked to be in a mediocre state. Despite the improvements, they both looked tired and dirty. "You look two look like you haven't bathed in weeks." She crinkled her nose.

"We're glad to see you too, Hermione," Ron chuckled.

"Of course we are," Harry affirmed, smiling lightly, "But you know, I think this isn't the best place for a reunion. We've got to get going."

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Let's go."

Griphook was to travel with them. He had refused to enter Hogsmeade (it wasn't much of a place for Goblins to venture to) and had therefore waited just on the outskirts of the village. From there, Hermione took the Polyjuice Potion (with a hair Ron had acquired from Bellatrix) and Ron was Glamoured. Harry and Griphook were to wear the invisibility cloak the whole time. After everyone was accounted for, they Apparated to Diagon Alley. If all went smoothly, this would be over before they knew it.

* * *

In the end, riding the dragon out of there had been the only option that Hermione could see. There really was no other choice, and the boys knew it. If it came down to it, flying – especially on a dragon – was the last thing in the world Hermione Granger ever wanted to do.

But alas, here they were, breaking through the ceiling of Gringotts and ascending to the clouds all the while clutching the scales and spikes of a dragon.

"Do you have it?" Hermione yelled to Harry, hoping that he could hear her over all the noise and rushing air.

He nodded, displaying the golden cup that he had bound to himself. She let out a sigh of relief. Even though things had not gone according to plan, they'd made it out alive and with the Horcrux that they came for.

The vault had been easy enough to infiltrate. Hermione managed to convince the goblins that she was Bellatrix Lestrange (with a little help of the Imperius curse on Harry's part). However, they hadn't anticipated coming across a colossal waterfall that removed all the enchantments they had placed on themselves. Nevertheless, they continued once the cart had dumped them below the waterfall and made it past the menacing dragon that guarded the vaults.

Inside Bellatrix's vault, the situation dissolved into havoc. All items within the vault had been charmed to multiply and burn at the touch. Hermione, Harry, and Ron all suffered burns from the scathing hot gold. She was quite sure that there were now several welts developing on her exposed skin. Despite all of this, Harry located and retrieved the Horcrux.

It was then that Griphook decided to enact his betrayal. He was quick to notify the whole bank that there were thieves in the Lestrange vault. Because of this, Hermione, Ron, and Harry had been forced to make their quick escape on the back of the dragon.

The sun had already risen. Hermione managed to cast a tempus while still on the Dragon's back and saw that it was nearly seven in the morning. She had no doubt that Remus was awake and worrying about her.

"I really think we need to get off of this thing," Harry yelled warily. Hermione looked down, noting that the expanse of water beneath them was getting further and further away as they climbed into the clouds.

"We have to Apparate!" she said, reaching out to grab the hands of both Harry and Ron.

"On a dragon?" Ron yelled, his voice high and hoarse.

She nodded, not giving the boys much time to push away from her before she twisted and pulled them away, picturing the outskirts of Hogsmeade clearly in her mind.

All three of them fell to the ground upon arrival. Hermione quickly sat up and looked the boys over before checking herself. Splinching was not an option right now, but she'd taken a fairly big risk by Apparating while moving through the air at such a high speed.

Everyone seemed to be in one piece, and Harry still had the horcrux, which was now clenched firmly in his hand. Hermione was sure that the noise of Aparation was bound to attract some sort of attention. They had to get to safety quickly.

"We need to get into the school," Harry said.

She nodded in agreement, standing up from the ground and looking around. The backs and roofs of a couple of shops were visible through the trees, but there weren't too many people around. They could easily sneak back in through Honeydukes as long as Harry and Ron used the cloak. "We'll go to the Room of Requirement," she stated, knowing that this was the safest place for the boys to hide.

Harry and Ron agreed, putting on the Invisibility Cloak and following as she made her way through Hogsmeade, into Honeydukes. It didn't take much time until they had snuck into the passageway and began to make their way inside the school.

She walked through the halls, unable to see them but knowing that they were close behind her. There were few students out and about, most of them wanting to sleep in on a weekend morning. Once Harry and Ron were safely in the Room of Requirement, she told them that she had to go find Remus.

"Why? We need to destroy this now," Ron relented urgently.

"It can wait, Ronald," she stepped back towards the exit, "But I know Remus is worried sick and I don't want him to go off telling everyone that I've run away." She tried not to show too much to them about her feelings towards Remus. "Besides," she added, "we do need _something_ to destroy it with." She left without another moment's hesitation, moving through the corridors at a brisk pace until she'd arrived near the DADA classroom.

Remus was inside their rooms, staring out the window at the Black Lake. He whisked around when she entered, and the first thing she realized was that he looked tense and miserable. She instantly felt terrible for leaving and for not explaining in more detail.

"Where the hell did you go?" His face turned into one of anger. He proceeded to stalk forward until he was only feet away from her. His eyes moved down her body, examining the transfigured robes she was wearing and the various burn marks that she'd received from the cursed objects in Bellatrix's vault. She was sure that she looked like a sweating mess as well. "What happened to you?"

She offered him a small smile. "We broke into Gingotts… got another Horcrux."

He paled, searching her face for any indication that this was not the truth. She nodded at his disbelief. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, but Harry, Ron, and I had to do this alone. I knew that you wouldn't have willingly let me go if I told you, but I _had_ to."

Remus didn't say anything for a long time. He simply gazed at her with an unreadable expression. She thought he would yell more, but he didn't. Instead, he took another step forward and drew her into a hug. She found herself inhaling his familiar scent. With her nose pressed against his collarbone and her arms grabbing slight handfuls of the back of his shirt, she considered how terribly important he was to her.

"Can I see them?" he asked hopefully.

She furrowed her brow, but then realized that he was talking about Harry and Ron. "Of course. Let's go to the Room of Requirement."

After Hermione had retrieved the Basilisk fang that she'd kept in her sock drawer, the pair proceeded to leave the privacy of their rooms and enter the corridor. Halfway there, Hermione and Remus stopped by the Gryffindor common room so that they could fetch Ginny. She figured that Ginny ought to be one of the first to know that Harry and Ron were in the school.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked while Hermione pulled her out of the portrait and into the corridor. Remus was waiting outside, and Ginny looked even more puzzled at the sight of him.

"I'll explain when we get there," Hermione muttered, starting away from the Fat Lady's portrait. Ginny reluctantly fell into stride beside her and Remus.

The trio garnered a few interesting looks from passing students, but aside from this, all was well in their journey to the Room of Requirement. Ginny realized where they were when Hermione stopped and begun to pace back and forth. However, she still looked very curious about why they needed to go into the Room of Requirement so badly.

Inside the room, Harry and Ron were standing side-by-side, looking down at Hufflepuff's Cup, which sat on the ground in the middle of a circle that had been cleared of debris. Both of the boys looked up when the door creaked open. However, before they could react, Ginny was already barreling towards them, engulfing both in a hug very similar to the one Hermione had given them so early that morning.

After Ginny had a few moments to fully greet the boys, Remus moved in, very happy to see them as well. Hermione had known that he'd been just as worried as her after they'd been captured and brought to Malfoy Manor. If Ginny had known, she probably would have been even more worried for them. She had a tendency to act like her mother in that way.

Once everyone was greeted, Ginny and Remus both started asking questions. Hermione looked to the boys, and Harry began to explain all that had happened in cringe-worthy detail. By the end of the story, both Ginny and Remus looked shocked.

"That's-" Remus paused, rubbing his forehead, "That's incredibly dangerous." Hermione didn't know what he was referencing, but she figured that danger could be associated with every single aspect of the night they'd gone through.

"I can't believe you all did this," Ginny exclaimed angrily. The redhead moved to stand beside Remus, crossing her arms with a huff. Remus nodded in agreement. If not for the intensity of the situation, Hermione was sure that she would have found it very funny to see the two of them teaming up like this.

"And you didn't even think to bring be along!" Ginny added highly. Remus' nodding stopped, and he whirled around to give Ginny a look of disbelief. Now Harry and Ron both chuckled quietly.

"It was easiest with just the three of us," Hermione explained uselessly. She knew that Ginny and Remus would still remain irritated, no matter what she said. To be honest, they had a right to be angry.

"And far more dangerous," Remus noted in his professor voice.

"Look," Harry stepped forward, "We'll have plenty of time to argue about this later, but right now we really need to destroy this Horcrux and move onto the next one."

"The next one?" Ginny furrowed her brow, "You know where it is?"

"Not exactly." Harry explained. "It's somewhere in the school, and I think it may be something to do with Ravenclaw, but that's all we know."

Ginny nodded, and silence fell as all eyes dropped to the Horcrux. It sat on the ground ominously. Hermione retrieved the Basilisk Fang from her robes and handed it to Harry so he could do the honors. Harry wielded the fang strongly. Hermione, Ginny, and Remus all took a step back, remembering what had happened when Remus had tried to destroy Slytherin's Locket. Hermione shuddered at the memory. Ron belatedly followed their lead in stepping back, and Harry raised the fang, perching to bring it down on the cup.

There was a loud crashing noise as the fang collided with the Horcrux and the destroyed cup skirted across the room. Hermione was surprised by the lack of resistive magic, though she'd been theorizing for a while that Harry's connection to Voldemort would allow him to get closer to the Horcruxes with less resistance. Upon closer inspection, she found that the cup looked completely destroyed. They'd done it.

The tension left the room. Hermione smiled at Ginny, Ron, and Remus happily. When she turned back to look at Harry, she was surprised to see her bespectacled friend collapse to the ground.

He howled in pain, clutching his forehead and grimacing. After a second or two, he stiffened, his body shaken only by slight tremors and jerking movements. Ginny rushed forward, falling to his side and desperately trying to rouse him or figure out what was wrong.

"It's Voldemort," Hermione said as the realization hit her, recognizing the signs of an open connection. "There's nothing we can do, Ginny, not until it's over."

Ginny didn't listen, because Harry was still shuddering on the ground. If Hermione didn't know better, she'd think that he was having a seizure. She glanced at Ron and Remus. They both looked extremely distraught.

After at least a minute of this, Harry's fit ended. He stilled. Ginny shook him, calling out his name until his eyes opened. He sat up, breathing heavily. His eyes were wide and frantic.

Now Hermione stepped forward and fell to his side as well. "What is it, Harry?" she asked, "What did you see?"

"Voldemort knows," Harry panted out. "He knows that we're destroying the Horcruxes and he's coming to Hogwarts."

* * *

**Author's note**: So that's it. The beginning of the end. We've only got a few more chapters left. Review and let me know what you think!

_Coming up next_: Voldemort's forces arrive at Hogwarts and the battle ensues.


	27. To End a War

Hermione's eyes widened. Harry's words echoed in her mind, rendering her frozen in place. After a moment, she looked around the room. Everyone was staring at Harry in varying degrees of shock. She met Remus' eyes for a second and saw the panic mingling with his surprise.

"We need to evacuate the school!" Harry exclaimed, springing up from the ground and striding towards the door.

"Wait," Ron stopped him sharply, "we need a plan first."

Hermione was slightly unnerved that Ron had to be the one to tell Harry this, but she still nodded in agreement. "A plan would probably be best. We'll move quickly after we've figured out what to do." She said this last part to Harry more than anyone else. He seemed jumpy and skittish, uncomfortable just sitting around in the Room of Requirement after what he'd just seen. Nevertheless, he crossed his arms, nodded, and stepped back towards the group.

"So," Hermione began, looking around, "Our number one priority is to get the younger students out of the school. What's next?"

Remus spoke up. "I need to go find the pack. I can probably bring them here within an hour if I leave now."

The idea of him going off with the werewolf pack still unnerved her slightly, but Hermione knew that they needed all the help they could get.

"The pack?" Ron muttered, giving Remus a puzzled look.

"I'll explain later," Hermione said shortly.

"I need to find the Horcrux as well," Harry stated.

"Alright," Hermione exhaled, "It would probably be best if you go look for the Horcrux, Harry. Ron, Ginny, and I can evacuate the students and notify the professors. Remus," she looked at him, her husband, the man who she would have never truly known without this whole mess. "You can bring the pack to Hogwarts."

Everyone nodded, taking surprisingly well to Hermione's leadership. It seemed to be the most economical plan of action at this time, and none of them were able to come up with anything better. This way, Harry could also take the Basilisk fang and later she could go to hers and Remus' rooms to get the spares and distribute them. It wouldn't hurt to have multiple people on their side armed with the tools to destroy Horcruxes.

Now it was time to leave. Before Harry could begin to make his way out the door, Ginny grabbed his shirtsleeve and pulled him in for a quick, passionate kiss. It was obvious that Ginny was saying goodbye, just in case.

Hermione diverted her eyes, wanting to give them privacy. She found that Remus was watching her closely. Ron seemed to already be uncomfortable enough, so perhaps it wouldn't matter terribly if she kissed Remus goodbye as well.

She took two strides to get to Remus, planting herself directly in front of him. He smiled down at her fondly. It was almost enough to stop her heart right there. He bent down and kissed her lightly. It was a fairly chaste kiss, but drawn out enough that she could feel the emotion beneath it. She felt like crying.

When he pulled away his face was still very close to hers. It was now that she felt a couple tears slip down her cheeks. "Be safe," she whispered.

"You too," he replied, eyeing her like there was so much more to be said. He lifted one hand to wipe her tears.

Was now the time to confess everything to him? Hermione knew that she did, in fact, love him very much. However, she'd always believed that admissions of love shouldn't come in a time of danger or hasty goodbyes. She'd never been expected to fall in love with Remus, and she didn't need to tell him that she was. If this was truly the end, he would know how much she cared for him, and she would know the same.

It appeared that they'd been staring into each other's eyes for too long. Ron cleared his throat somewhere in the background. The corners of Remus' lips tugged up ever so slightly. His eyes floated down to her left hand. He reached out a finger and gave her modest wedding ring a little tap, smiling knowingly.

She hugged him quickly before pulling away and turning to the others. Harry and Ginny had broken away from each other as well. Everyone was now looking at her and Remus. Hermione blushed, but she found that she didn't care all that much. They knew about how close she'd grown to Remus. There was no point in trying to hide it now.

"Right then," Harry piped up, "Let's go."

* * *

Hogsmeade was a mess. Remus' first realization upon arrival was that the place had been completely devastated over by Death Eaters. Despite the various destroyed buildings and – hopefully unconscious – bodies on the ground, the village was all but barren. The Death Eaters had moved on to the school.

"Follow me!" Remus yelled to the men behind him, "We'll make our way up to the school and see what we can do." Despite the fact that the state of Hogsmeade was shaping up to be a grim omen, he prayed that Hogwarts wasn't in nearly the same condition.

There were nearly twenty men with him. The werewolves had been surprisingly willing to follow him into this battle. But then again, it was true that Greyback had infected most of them. Just like Remus himself, they wanted revenge on Greyback and all the other Death Eaters as well.

The leader of the pack, a quiet man called Cain, stood beside Remus. He'd been particularly adamant to go into this battle, holding a personal vendetta against Greyback for the brutal slaughter of his wife and child, along with his own infection. As the Alpha Male of the pack, his decision to go into battle had influenced many of the others who had perhaps been unsure before.

As the group of werewolves made their way closer to the school, they found that their help was sorely needed. It appeared that more magical creatures had come to aid Voldemort's forces than they'd anticipated. There were giants and Acromantulas tearing the courtyard apart.

Remus' most pressing concern at this point was making sure that Hermione and the others were alright and to see if they needed any assistance. It seemed that the Death Eaters were still trying to get into the school at this point, so the Order members were likely within the castle.

With this in mind, Remus pulled away from the pack, allowing them to be led by Cain. As he made his way through the courtyard, he saw Kingsley fighting a Death Eater by the entrance to the school. He figured that he'd start his search there.

* * *

Curses were flying at her left and right. Hermione tried to shield all of them, but it was becoming increasingly difficult, especially with Ron to worry about as well. The Death Eater was attacking them savagely and relentlessly.

They were currently in one of the corridors near the DADA classroom. This was where they'd sent the last of the younger students off through the passageway to Hogsmeade. Luckily, the Death Eater they'd encountered didn't know that they had just sent a bunch of first through fifth years off towards Hogsmeade without protection.

The duel continued, Hermione and Ron desperately trying to keep up their defense while the Death Eater pressed forward. As she deflected what looked like a bone-crushing curse, Hermione's eyes were drawn to a person approaching stealthily from behind the Death Eater. She couldn't quite make out who it was through the slew of curses being sent her way, but they were coming closer at a brisk pace.

Ron was falling back. His blocking was becoming shoddy, causing a great many curses to deflect in unpredictable directions. Hermione now had to worry about the curses being thrown at her _and_ the curses deflected by Ron.

The Death Eater moved onto more agile spells. With a sharp flick of his wand, a lethal cutting hex was sent barreling towards Ron. In defense, Ron raised his wand hand sharply and brought up a temporary shield, deflecting the curse and somehow sending it right back towards the Death Eater.

The spell was dissolved easily by the robed figure, but it seemed that in his distraction he had let his guard down.

"_Stupefy_!" a familiar voice yelled from behind the Death Eater. He fell to the ground with a great thud, his body limp against the stone floor. Behind his body, Harry stood with his wand still raised. He quickly placed the man in a precautionary body bind and then approached Ron and Hermione.

"Is that it?" Ron asked, his eyes trained on a glimmering silver object in Harry's left hand.

Harry nodded. "Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem," he lifted the Horcrux, displaying it to them. It was adorned with various blue and bronze gems, but half of it seemed to have been hit with an explosion or burned by a fire of some sort. It was scorched and the metal shriveled, the gems missing from their places.

"You destroyed it," Hermione noted.

He nodded once more. "And I think I know what the last one is." Harry proceeded to pull them into the nearby DADA classroom and explain how he'd had a vision of Voldemort speaking to his snake, Nagini. It made sense that something Voldemort wanted to keep so close was the artifact that they were looking for, but Hermione was very disturbed by the fact that the man had made a _living thing_ into a Horcrux. If a snake was a Horcrux, what else could be?

"There's more," Harry murmured grimly, perched across from Hermione and Ron on a desk, "I think he has the Elder Wand."

Ron's jaw dropped. Hermione inhaled sharply. Well, this had just made things a whole lot more complicated.

"Bloody hell," Ron breathed. "How are you going to defeat him if he has the wand?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't know if it's possible, but I've been thinking… If I have two of the Hallows maybe I can win."

"If you have two?" Hermione frowned, "Where are you going to get two?"

"Dumbledore." Harry stated. "I think he had the Resurrection Stone, and of course I've already got the Invisibility Cloak."

"Dumbledore had the stone?" Ron echoed.

"Maybe. I don't know. We might as well search his office anyway." Harry spoke with intent, and Hermione knew that however much she told him that this was illogical and unlikely, he would go.

"We'll come with you." Ron said. Hermione belatedly nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Harry exhaled. "Let's go." He started at a fast pace out of the DADA room. Hermione and Ron followed.

As they made their way through the corridors, another thought sprung up in Hermione's mind. "Have you seen Remus, Harry?" she asked, glancing around the sparsely populated corridor that they were now passing through. She was guessing that most of the battle was taking place in the courtyard or outside.

"No," Harry conceded, "but the werewolves are here, so he must be."

Hermione nodded. He was here. She couldn't see him and ensure that he was safe, but at least she knew that he was here. That was good enough.

The gargoyles outside of the Headmaster's office moved automatically for the trio. They were surprised, but Harry explained with certainty that the Castle simply knew how much the trio needed to get inside of this room. "The Castle's on our side," he finished simply.

The search in what was now Snape's office came to a dead end. All they found was an old chest of things that appeared to be property of Dumbledore, the only object of magical significance was a strangely enchanted locket that none of them could figure out how to work.

"What now?" Ron asked, stepping away from one of the broad bookshelves and looking at the others.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but stopped, freezing in place for a split second before his hand flew to his forehead. He fell to the ground, letting out groan of pain before falling silent. Hermione flew forward to try and help him, but Ron grabbed her arm and held her back. "Wait," he said simply, eyes boring in on Harry's shivering form.

It was about a minute before Harry came to. He sat up, his eyes darting around the room before falling on Ron and Hermione. "We need to go to the Shreiking Shack," he said simply, jumping up from the ground and making his way towards the door. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Hermione found it amusing that almost the same scenario had happened just that morning in the Room of Requirement. Harry dug out his invisibility cloak from his pocket, having shrunken and hidden it there. He then placed it over himself, disappearing from view. Hermione nodded, figuring that it was best for Harry to be the one who was invisible. She and Ron alone were not nearly as noticeable or attention grabbing as Harry Potter.

It wasn't long before they were outside and making their way towards the Whomping Willow. On the way, Hermione desperately searched for a familiar face. She saw Ginny and Neville from across a corridor, happy that they were both safe. It was also good that Ginny was with Neville because she could explain to him and others the situation with the Horcruxes and the need to kill Voldemort's snake.

She also searched for Remus among the crowds, but he was nowhere to be seen. It felt to Hermione like there was something in the pit of her stomach weighing her down, something in the back of her mind whispering traitorous thoughts. _Maybe he's dead._

At the Whomping Willow, Ron stopped them. "Harry, mate, what's in there?" he asked cautiously, "is this a mistake, going in there if Voldemort's just waiting for us?"

Hermione stopped in her tracks, realizing the logic to Ron's statement and wondering why she hadn't questioned Harry's decision earlier. This seemed an awful lot like what had happened when they'd been drawn into the Department of Mysteries looking for Sirius.

"You two can stay out here if you'd like," Harry murmured stubbornly, "but I'm going in. It's about the Elder Wand. He knows that it's not fully his. We have to figure out who it belonged to, who killed Dumbledore."

Comprehension dawned on Hermione. "The wand belonged to Dumbledore. Whoever killed him is the rightful owner of the Elder Wand. We have to make sure that they don't die."

Harry nodded grimly.

How ironic. The three of them needed to do whatever it took to keep this Death Eater alive so that Voldemort couldn't properly use the wand. It felt terrible to think that they were looking out for the safety of Dumbledore's murderer.

The trio proceeded into the passageway beneath the Whomping Willow, all the way until they climbed into the lower halls of the shrieking shack.

"He's upstairs," Harry whispered very quietly, looking up at the ceiling as if he could see through it. Hermione swallowed dryly.

They ended up finding a window that Voldemort had opened up. The three of them crouched outside the splintered and dusty boards, peeking through the slightest opening. Hermione didn't dare cast any sort of silencing charm, fearing that Voldemort would be able to sense the magic. At least they had the Invisibility cloak to hide them now. It was currently draped over all three of their heads, not quite going past their knees, but good enough that no one could see them through the window.

Surprisingly enough, Voldemort was pacing. It was so shockingly human and defenseless. If only they had already killed the final Horcrux, then Harry could simply attack Voldemort now. It would all be over…

Her thoughts were drawn away from the man in front of her when the door creaked open, and a very distraught looking Severus Snape passed through.

Without even a second passing, Harry and Ron both shifted, as if preparing to lunge forward and attack the man in front of them. Hermione grabbed the upper arms of both boys on either side of her and held them in a frozen death grip. They stayed still, luckily.

She was gaping, and it felt as if a searing fire had just ignited within her chest. The pain of the betrayal was almost palpable, and it incensed her more than anything else had ever done. She wanted to tear Snape apart. They'd trusted him all along. _Dumbledore_ had trusted him all along. How could he kill the man who gave him everything?

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice whispered different words. _Perhaps he was forced into it. Perhaps they planned it._ But she couldn't pay these thoughts any mind. Her anger was too great, too all-consuming. She simply had to watch and wait until they had their chance to save the wretched man before them.

As Voldemort stepped towards Snape, Hermione noticed the slithering form behind him. Nagini was here. Perhaps this was their chance to kill it…

"Ah, Severus, you've kept me waiting," Voldemort sneered, his eyes pointedly locked on the man in dark robes.

"I'm sorry, my lord, I was a long way from here when I set out," Snape explained stonily. Hermione watched him in disbelief, unable to comprehend how he had actually been the one who'd killed Dumbledore all along.

"Yes, well, there are other things of more importance than your excuses." Voldemort began to explain his situation just as they had anticipated it to be. Snape needed to die because he had killed Dumbledore. Throughout the tense explanation, Nagini curled and coiled behind Voldemort, as if eager for what was to come.

Hermione silently prayed to herself that Voldemort wouldn't use the killing curse. If he used that… there was no hope of saving Snape. But if it were anything else, perhaps Nagini, then maybe they could save him.

As if her wish had been granted, Voldemort silently summoned the snake, waving his wand hand towards the now frightened looking Snape. Voldemort said something in parseltongue and Nagini lunged. Hermione winced, tightening her grip on the arms of both Harry and Ron to stop herself from making a noise. She felt a great deal of resentment for the man who had killed Dumbledore, but she still hated the way Nagini's fangs seemed to tear at his neck.

Voldemort was gone within seconds, apparently sure of the fact that this man was going to die and the Elder Wand would be truly his. It was a sore mistake. As soon as his footsteps were heard moving down the stairs, Hermione, Harry, and Ron all jumped through the window and approached Snape. The Invisibilty cloak was shed and Snape looked at them with an expression of shock mingled with terrible pain.

Noticing the profuse amount of blood, Hermione's mind went into work mode. Forgetting the terrible hatred she felt for Snape at this moment, she dropped to the floor beside him and removed her wand, first siphoning off the blood and then inspecting the wound. "I have to remove the venom," she murmured, more for the boys than herself. She wracked her mind for some sort of spell that could do the desired trick.

She closed her eyes, picturing all her textbooks and references for spells. Anything about healing spells… creature wounds… venom in the blood stream…

"_Stasis charm_," she whispered as the idea came to her. She focused on the man in front of her, ignoring the fact that he had said something to Harry and Harry was now filling a vial of what looked like some sort of spindly smoke being emitted from Snape.

"I'm going to stop his bloodflow," she said to Harry. He understood, and pulled away, having taken all of the strange blue mist that he needed. She lifted her wand and recited the spell, imagining exactly the way her book had told her to do it.

It worked. Snape fell unconscious; blood stopped flowing from his wound. Hermione now moved on to trying to figure out a way to get the venom out. She only had a short amount of time until the lack of a heartbeat caused irreparable damage.

Both of the boys were silent, though she could feel their eyes on her. She had to do this right.

The spell wasn't too difficult to remember. She'd read something about American healers using spells to cure people of rattlesnake wounds with this. It was a fairly simple summoning of the venom and removal from the body. She lifted her wand and began to recite the spell, making a twisting and pulling motion.

A clear, phlegm-like venom followed her wand, away from the wound. There was a lot, probably at least two ounces. Hermione winced, hoping that none had reached his heart in the time they'd wasted. After it all seemed to be gone, she stopped, conjuring a rag, covering the wound, and then cancelling the stasis charm.

Snape's chest began to rise and fall once more, and she could feel the throbbing beat of his heart against her hand. He was still unconscious, so she couldn't tell for sure, but he looked okay.

"Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron let out a breath. "That was brilliant."

She allowed a small grin to tug at her lips. "I think it should hold him off," she mumbled, "at least for a few hours."

Harry nodded once, "that's long enough."

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to easily heal a flesh wound from a magical Horcrux snake, she bound the rag tightly to his neck. "We'll have to leave him here for now, but he'll remain unconscious so as to not disturb the wound." She stood up, looking down at the pale man. The entire situation felt so strange and surreal; here she was, just having saved the life of the man who'd murdered Albus Dumbledore.

"Let's get out of here," Ron said after a moment, shivering and glancing around the torn up room.

Hermione and Harry agreed, and the trio began to make their hesitant way back to the passage and towards the school. On the way, Harry explained his need for a Pensieve. Snape's memories must have been important. Hermione hadn't been paying much attention to him, but from how Harry described it, Snape had been desperate for him to see those memories.

So it was decided that Harry would go back to the Headmaster's office alone in search of a Pensieve. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione would see if they could find other members of the Order and update them on the situation.

It was about fifteen minutes later that Ron and Hermione were entering the Great Hall. The school had cleared out for the most part, except for the excess of people around and within the Great Hall. Voldemort's forces had pulled back, and it was getting rather late in the evening now.

The first thing Hermione noticed upon entering the Great Hall was how many dead bodies there were. Someone (probably Madam Pomfrey) had laid out all the bodies and begun to deliver care to those who were still alive. The first familiar face she noticed was Colin Creevey. He looked terribly still in death. Hermione's heart ached for the poor boy and his family.

There were others all around, dead bodies littering the room. She looked at Ron to her right, who was glancing around the room anxiously, probably praying that he didn't see a family member or close friend. She and Ron proceeded further into the room, and Hermione tired not to think about the possibility of Remus being one of the dead.

Near the back of the Great Hall, a group of people had converged together. As she got closer to them, she made out the faces of Kingsley, Neville, Luna, and several redheads.

Before Hermione had time to make out any other faces or spot Remus, she was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. After a moment, she realized that it was Mrs. Weasley who had embraced her and Ron so tightly. The woman pulled away, wiping tears from her eyes and putting affectionate hands on both of their shoulders. "Thank goodness," she whispered, her voice hoarse and her eyes still tearing.

Ron was saying something to his mother, probably explaining where Harry was, but Hermione didn't listen. She was looking past Mrs. Weasley, at the familiar face of her husband. Remus was striding towards them, leaving the rest of the group behind. Hermione moved a few paces to meet him in a tight hug.

He kissed the top of her head clutched her tightly for a few long seconds. They both whispered to each other how happy they were that the other was alive and well. Eventually they pulled away. Hermione blushed, realizing that anyone in the Great Hall had been able to see their embrace. She noticed a couple of her classmates watching them, some with pleasant expressions, some not. It didn't matter to her, though, because they were both _alive_.

Hermione's happiness was knocked out of her like a kick in the stomach, all the air leaving her lungs in one frighteningly long second.

She was looking at the bodies near the rest of her friends. Tonks was there, pale and lifeless, her hair a mousy brown color that didn't show her bright personality at all. Beside her, Fred's tall lanky form was resting on a mat, slightly covered by the keeled over form of his twin, who was sobbing into Ginny's embrace.

Hermione approached the bodies silently, her eyes welling up with tears as she drifted forward.

Tonks looked even more unusually still up close. Hermione wept for the poor woman. She deserved so much more, and judging by the way Charlie Weasley was crying over both of the bodies, she'd been so close to happiness.

Ron and his mother had now moved towards the rest of his family, mourning their son with heavy hearts. Hermione didn't want to intrude, so she simply reached out for Remus again and rested her head against his shoulder sadly.

The worst part of all of this was the fact that the battle wasn't nearly over yet. They still had a ways to go. She needed to speak with everyone about Nagini, and then she needed to find Harry…

* * *

Everyone ended up sitting in the Great Hall for a long time. Hermione and Ron explained most of what was going on the Order members, and then strategy was discussed. In the intensity of the discussion, Hermione hadn't realized how much time had passed. She'd been mildly worried about how Harry was getting along before, but her anxiety spiked when she realized that he'd been gone for nearly two hours.

Suddenly, cavernous room was filled with curious and confused voices as people began yelling about something going on out in front of the school. Almost simultaneously, everyone began to get up and rush outside. Hermione glanced at Remus, who sat beside her at one of the long benches. He looked anxious to see what was going on, eager to follow Kingsley and Mr. Weasley, who were already heading for the entrance to the Great Hall. She and Remus both stood up, making their way through the narrowing group outside.

The noise from the crowd dimmed down significantly as they exited the courtyard. A mass of dark cloaks and ominous figures was approaching the front of the school from far off. Hermione and Remus shared a worried look before moving toward the front of the crowd, where Mr. Weasley and Kingsley were both standing.

As the figures drew closer, Hermione recognized a few. Voldemort led the pack, followed by what looked like Bellatrix Lestrange, and surprisingly enough, Hagrid to his right.

It didn't take long at all for Hermione to realize why Hagrid was there and what he had brought along with him. There was a body in his arms, still and lifeless as he carried it. Hermione suddenly felt like she'd been hit by a train. She staggered backwards into Remus' chest. McGonagall was the first to scream. Hermione let out her own scream shortly thereafter.

Harry was dead. They'd lost. His body lay limply in Hagrid's arms.

She was crying, and everyone around her was screaming at Voldemort and his followers. Ginny looked dreadful and enraged, having to be held back by her father's arm. Hermione glanced at Remus, seeing the pain and agony in his teary eyes.

_Is it really all over?_ _Can this be the end?_

Despite the fact that this was what they had feared all along, Hermione knew that they had to keep going. They still needed to put up a fight.

Voldemort silenced the crowd rather quickly with an explosion sent up into the air. The only noise that could be heard was the shuffling of feet and soft heaving breaths of those who were crying. Hermione could feel the tears stinging her cheeks, but she wiped them away furiously. There would be time to cry later.

"Harry Potter is dead." Voldemort said coldly, his eyes glazing over the crowd as he stepped forward, away from the Death Eaters and Harry's body. "He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, killed while trying to save himself."

Hermione knew this was so immensely far from the truth and it enraged her. She took a step forward, ignoring Remus' hand reaching out to grasp her arm. "That's a lie," she said sternly, "Harry would never do that."

Voldemort's eyes zeroed in on her. She took a deep breath and pulled her shoulders up to stand a little taller.

"Hermione Granger," he hissed, recognition crossing his icy features, "the Mudblood."

She froze, narrowing her eyes at him, not daring to look away. Remus' grip on her arm tightened.

"And her _husband_." He said the last word with absolute resentment, his eyes traveling over to Remus. The soft sounds of his footsteps were the only noise around the courtyard as he stepped closer. His eyes fell on Hermione once again. "I must admit, I made a mistake in trusting that my Death Eaters in the Ministry were capable of… _obtaining_ you."

Hermione tried to disguise her shiver as clenching her first. Voldemort continued, "But it seems that Dumbledore had to be as annoyingly inconvenient as ever with his protections. You see," he began to pace slowly, "I had thought that getting ahold of one of Harry Potter's closest friend, the brains of the operation, would allow me to break him down easier. That was where my Death Eaters failed me, sadly. However, in the end, it didn't matter that you evaded the Marriage Law, Mrs…. Lupin, is it?" He didn't give time for Hermione to respond with any sort of affirmation before he continued, taking a few steps backwards and facing the whole crowd. "I've still killed your hero. Harry Potter is dead!" He roared the final sentence triumphantly. Rotten teeth showed through his menacing smile. Hermione could faintly hear Mrs. Weasley choke on a sob somewhere in the crowd.

What happened next felt to be in almost slow motion. Hermione's gaze was pulled to Harry's body as motion stirred him. A shuffling in Hagrid's arms caused the body to fall to the ground. Only a split second later, the body disappeared completely. Hermione realized that it was the Invisibility Cloak a second after she realized that Harry was alive.

_Alive._

There was hope.

In the next several seconds, chaos rapidly descended over the large gathering. Hermione raised her wand and pulled Remus with her through the crowd and towards where Ron and Ginny were standing with some others. "We need to kill the snake!" She yelled. The crowd was quickly dispersing and they had to make sure that they were safe and protected. As quickly as she could, she pulled two extra Basilisk fangs from her robes and gave one to Ron and one to Neville, who was also nearby and willing to help.

Ginny had already explained the situation to Neville, and hopefully a few others. Nobody questioned why they needed the fangs to kill the snake, so she saw it fit to move on.

Voldemort was still in the courtyard, Nagini obediently slithering behind him. The man was in a rage, sending explosions and incinerations toward every object or structure where Harry might be hiding behind.

"Let's go," Hermione said, zoning in on the snake and leading their group forward.

Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a space several feet away, where Harry had suddenly appeared. With the Invisibility Cloak shed onto the ground, he now stood completely vulnerable. Hermione wanted to berate him for letting himself be so exposed, but the glint in his eye made it evident that he had a plan. She could have sworn that he glanced in her direction as well, but that could have just been her imagination…

"It's going to end now, Tom." Harry's voice sounded louder and more mature than she'd ever heard it. Perhaps it was simply the fact that he'd addressed Voldemort by his real name.

Voldemort was standing across the courtyard, completely focused on Harry. "As you wish," he snarled, raising his wand and letting out a fiercely screamed "_Avada Kedavra_."

Harry shot his own spell back and their wands met in a clash of light and magical out lash. Most of the people in the vicinity staggered backwards a step or two. Anyone who hadn't been paying attention before was certainly watching the battle now.

The spells were going strong, both adversaries focused solely on gaining the upper hand. Hermione knew that they simply had to kill Nagini. As long as her medical care administered to Snape held out, the wand wouldn't truly work for Voldemort, and Harry could win as long as the final Horcrux was destroyed.

"The snake," she said to the others around her, reminding them of the task at hand. Everyone's eyes focused in on the beast lurking behind the dark tail of Voldemort's robes. There were a few Death Eaters near the snake, but not too many, and it seemed that Voldemort had other things to focus on at the moment…

"We can stun a few of them as we approach together," Remus said quietly. "Or," he continued, "One person can charge the snake alone."

"We'll go together," Ginny immediately retorted.

It was risking all of their lives to approach Voldemort and the snake, but Hermione knew that this was the way to do it. "I agree," she said.

"Me too," Ron nodded.

Neville's eyes were already trained on the great beast, so she assumed that he agreed as well.

Remus quickly assigned them all a Death Eater to take out before telling them that whoever got the first opportunity at the snake should take it. With that, they leapt into action.

Voldemort was still distracted by Harry as they approached. The first Death Eater to notice their breakaway from the rest of the crowd was stunned by Ginny. Next, Hermione and Ron took out both of theirs. Remus' Death Eater started barreling curses at them, all blocked except for one, which hit Remus in the shoulder, tearing a grunt of pain from his throat and causing him to fall to the ground. Despite her desire to see if he was okay, Hermione knew that she couldn't stop moving. She and Ron simultaneously engaged Remus' Death Eater before he could advance any further. Together, they managed to stun him rather quickly.

The group was drawing more attention now, but the snake and Voldemort were mere feet away. A few other Death Eaters started yelling and running forward. Hermione looked at Voldemort, seeing the slight inclination of his head as he glanced in their direction.

"NEVILLE, GO!" She screamed, recognizing that he was the only one close enough to the snake. She sent a stunner at a Death Eater charging Neville just in time for him to break past.

Neville's wand was now sheathed, and he held the Basilisk fang instead. He sprinted the last few feet toward the snake, which was now uncoiling, turning towards their direction.

Voldemort had turned as well. With an infuriated cry, he dropped his focus from Harry just long enough to slice at the air towards Neville.

Hermione desperately tried to do something to block the spell, but she could hear it tear through Neville's clothes and into his side. He cried out in pain, but moved forward, lunging at the snake and somehow sinking the fang into its head.

Voldemort suddenly let out an inhumane shrieking noise, and Harry's spell collided with him at just that moment. His defense hadn't lasted long enough, and the snake had distracted him just enough. It was only a moment before he fell, the rage dying from his expression and his knees buckling beneath him.

Within a second, the Death Eaters began to Disapparate, twisting away without a single indication of where they were going.

Harry stood still, his chest heaving with each breath. His wand was still clutched in his hand, which had fallen to his side. He looked like he'd just run a marathon; exhausted, but impossibly relieved that it was all over.

And it really did appear to be over.

* * *

**Author's Note:** From here we've probably got one real chapter left, and then maybe an epilogue…? I haven't decided exactly what to include in the epilogue or the next chapter. Nothing's set in stone yet, and I'm open for suggestions about what you guys want to see as we finish here. Thoughts?

Also, this chapter took me longer to post simply because it was a very long chapter (more than double the length of normal chapters). Next chapter might be a bit of the same situation, but you'll still see it posted relatively soon.

_Coming up next_: Hermione and the others must figure out how to move on in the aftermath of the final battle, and not everyone gets a happy ending.


	28. Find Yourself

Voldemort's body was motionless. Behind him sat the blackened carcass of his snake. Neville lay bleeding profusely on the ground next to Nagini's body. Hermione ran to his side just as Ginny and Ron did the same.

"I'm fine," Neville sputtered out through panting breaths, clutching his side where Voldemort's curse had hit.

"No you're not," Ginny said, "we need to get you inside."

Hermione knew that Ron and Ginny would get Neville to safety on their own. He looked like he would be okay… the curse didn't seem lethal where it had hit him. Voldemort's strength had already been greatly depleted before he struck Neville.

With this in mind, Hermione stood and turned towards where Remus had fallen. He was sitting up on the ground, clutching his shoulder where he'd been hit and slowly standing up. _Thank god he's alive,_ was the first thought to enter her mind. She approached him, and just as he stood up wrapped her arms around him. Remus let out a pained breath as he hugged her in return.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked, attempting to pull back.

Remus didn't let her get far away, though. "I don't mind," he said simply, pulling her closer.

Hermione chuckled and burrowed her head against his neck. "We did it," she whispered.

"You all did," he replied, "I didn't do much of anything."

She'd been about to argue, but the forms of Harry, Ron, and Ginny caught her eye. They stood together across the courtyard, speaking quietly. Hermione watched them, wondering if she ought to go over there. She really didn't want to leave Remus' side at the moment, but she needed to make sure everything was alright with them, and she was desperate to speak to Harry about what had happened.

"Go ahead," Remus said, interrupting her thoughts. "There's a lot to sort out still. You go talk to them and I'll make sure everyone else is okay."

Hermione nodded, kissing him lightly on the cheek before pulling away.

* * *

There were Aurors everywhere. The Great Hall was overrun with people in Ministry Robes. Hermione watched them as they milled about, talking to everyone, getting their sides of the story. She really hoped that the media wouldn't misreport the news of this battle. Hopefully the _Prophet_ got the full story and not the same misconstrued garbage that had surfaced during the Triwizard Tournament.

Ginny's quiet sniffle caught Hermione's attention. She turned to her right, where the redhead sat beside her, looking at the ground mournfully. Someone, Hermione wasn't sure who, had come around and put a blanket around each of their shoulders. She guessed it was in some attempt to get them to sleep. It was nearing midnight and Hermione truly was exhausted after not sleeping at all the previous night, but she didn't want to sleep now. Besides, Ginny needed someone to be with her. Harry was talking to the Aurors, reporting his side of the story, and she didn't expect him to finish for a while.

Harry had quite a complicated tale to tell, especially with the part where Voldemort had used the Killing Curse on him and he'd somehow come back to life. Hermione now knew all about what Harry had done; he'd told her shortly before the Aurors came. Somehow, Harry ended up finding the Resurrection Stone in the Snitch Dumbledore left him and managed to survive Voldemort's curse. Thus, the Horcrux within him was destroyed in the process.

This was all a very confusing and long-winded tale, and that was why Hermione had decided to keep Ginny company here on the outskirts of the Great Hall.

"It'll be alright," Hermione murmured in a small attempt at consolation, "we can rest now that Voldemort's gone."

Ginny moved to rest her head on Hermione's shoulder. "Yeah," she whispered in response, staring into the crowd in front of them. Despite the number of people in the Great Hall, there wasn't much noise being made. Everyone spoke quietly, allowing the others to mourn and rest. The dead had been moved somewhere else, but there were still many badly injured comrades amongst them.

Hermione looked into the crowd, following Ginny's stare. Harry, Remus, Mr. Weasley, and Kingsley were all speaking to a group of Aurors now. Her eyes followed Remus' form as he spoke. His shoulder had been wrapped up by a passing Healer, but the woman didn't seem to have any extra time to actually mend the bones. There were many other patients in far more critical condition.

St. Mungo's had sent many of their Healers over to the school to assess the situation and take any critical patients to the hospital. She had seen Neville being carried off earlier. The Healer had told Hermione and Ginny that Neville would be fine as long as he went to the hospital and received care there. Many other patients were in a similar situation.

Remus clutched his shoulder as he spoke, and Hermione could tell that the injury was bothering him. She decided to make sure that he was taken care of before long, even if she had to do it herself.

"I'm glad they made it," Ginny said softly. Hermione didn't know whom she was talking about, but she guessed that it could apply to everyone who had made it. Ginny had lost a brother to this war, but so many others had survived.

"Me too," Hermione replied, her eyes following Remus. She'd almost lost him. It could have happened at any moment today, and Hermione had no idea how she would have moved on if he'd died. "I think I love him," she admitted quietly, so only Ginny could hear.

Despite the ambiguity, Ginny understood. She let out a deep breath, nodding slowly. "I think I love him too… well… not him, the other one." Her eyes followed Harry as she spoke. Hermione let out a huff of laughter.

They sat in silence for a fairly long time. Eventually, however, Harry broke away from the Aurors and the others. He looked a bit lost in the cavernous Great Hall, glancing around forlornly. "You should go talk to him," Hermione murmured, "hold his hand or something."

Ginny smiled wryly, "I suppose I will. You all right here?"

Hermione nodded. Ginny stood up from the ground, Her blanket still around her shoulders. She looked back at Hermione before walking away. "I think he loves you too."

She could only manage a half smile in response. Her brain was too full of thoughts and questions about the future. Soon Ginny and Harry were both gone from the Great Hall. Hermione pulled her blanket tight around her and leaned back against the wall.

After what felt like a fairly long time, Remus' eyes fell on her. He started at a slow pace in her direction, his hands in his pockets and a small smile on his face. He stopped directly in front of her, his feet nearly touching hers. Hermione patted the ground beside her.

"How's the shoulder?" she asked, noticing the way he winced when he sat down.

"It'll heal," he replied simply. "Werewolves heal quickly, you know."

"I do," she said, leaning her head against his good shoulder. She felt the exhaustion set in at this moment. Her limbs felt heavy and her eyelids drooped. "Remus?"

"Hmm?" She could feel him shift his head to look down at her.

"What's going to happen now? There's so much that has to change…" she didn't know if she was talking about Hogwarts or their friends who had died or even their marriage.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but we'll figure out soon. For now you should try to sleep. I'll wake you up when Madam Pomfrey comes to heal you."

"Why do _I_ need to be healed?" Her voice was thick with sleep.

"You've got welts all over," he said, evidently surprised that she'd forgotten. She watched as he reached for her arm and pulled up her sleeve, displaying the aftermath of the burning curses in Bellatrix's vault.

She made some sort of huff of recognition and nodded. "I'm going to sleep for now, then," she mumbled, shifting so that she was more comfortably propped up against Remus.

His softly spoken "okay" was the last thing Hermione heard before drifting off.

* * *

Hermione woke up the following morning in their bedroom. She barely remembered being woken up and healed by Madam Pomfrey the previous night, but all evidence of her injuries were gone.

Remus' arm was draped around her waist. His breathing was steady as he slept. She wondered what would happen now. It was almost certain that the Marriage Law would be absolved, but where would that leave her and Remus? To be honest, she couldn't imagine not being married to him after this. It sounded terrible; nothing like how she wanted the future to turn out.

Deciding not to wallow in her thoughts for too long, Hermione got out of bed, taking a moment to open the small window in their bedroom and observe. The air that filled her lungs reminded her sharply of summer. It was technically still only late spring, but it felt like summer was coming in full force. There were a few indistinguishable forms wandering down by the Black Lake. Most of their comrades in the battle yesterday had ended up staying the night in any rooms they could find. There were probably a lot of people around the castle this morning, which Hermione knew to be a good thing; there was a lot of rebuilding to be done, and all of the students still had exams to take. However, it was very likely that exams would be postponed.

Deciding that she really wanted to see her friends, Hermione headed off to search for them, giving Remus' sleeping form one last glance before departing.

Just as she'd expected, Hermione found Harry, Ginny, and Ron in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny and Harry were both laying on the couch together, clutching each other in their sleep. Ron was hunched over in an armchair beside them, looking like his back would be in some pain when he woke up.

She sat in the other armchair opposite of Ron, sitting down just as Harry and Ginny began to stir. Shortly after, the noise appeared to awaken Ron as well.

"Hullo Hermione," Ginny greeted her groggily, sitting up, her elbows digging into a grunting Harry. "How was your night?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows knowingly.

"My evening was fine," Hermione replied airily, "how was yours?"

"Very nice," Ginny smiled quaintly, her eyes darting down to Harry every few moments.

"Is Remus all right?" Harry asked gruffly.

Hermione nodded, "Madam Pomfrey healed his shoulder. He should be perfectly fine when the bruising goes away."

"Are _you_ all right?" Harry spoke again.

She sighed, "yeah."

"Can we get some food?" Ron stood from his chair and begun to stretch, "I'm bloody starving."

Despite Ron's lack of sensitivity to the situation, everyone agreed that it was about time for breakfast. They made their way down to the Great Hall together, finding that the tables had been moved back into the center of the room and food was currently being served.

It felt like Hermione was finally with her family once again. All of the Weasleys – aside from Fred, of course – were sitting together. Even Percy was there, having arrived for the battle the previous afternoon. Some familiar faces sat near the Weasleys, including Kingsley and, as Hermione was pleased to see, Remus.

This was when Hermione realized how hungry she truly was, and luckily enough, there was plenty of food to go around. She sat down across from Remus, Ron taking the seat to her left and Harry the one to her right. Ginny was on Harry's other side, between him and a very melancholy looking Charlie.

Seeing Charlie's dreary mood and hopeless expression, Hermione realized all that he had lost in the battle yesterday. She'd known that there was something deep between him and Tonks for a long time. Not only had he lost Tonks, but also Fred. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling, but she knew that it was terrible, perhaps even as terrible as what George was going through. George sat a couple seats down from Hermione, playing idly with his food and giving single word responses when anyone tried to talk to him.

Hermione desperately hoped that their family would get through this. They'd all taken Fred's death as a shock and a tragedy. Nobody seemed to be able to truly enjoy the victory in spite of their losses. She wondered if there was something she could do.

Breakfast passed and Hermione didn't have much of a chance to speak to Remus, even though he was just across the table. However, she figured that it was a bit of a good thing at this point, because she had absolutely no clue what to say to him about their situation. That conversation would have to come eventually, but she could postpone it for now.

Near the end of the meal, Professor McGonagall stood and called everyone's attention. She announced that for anyone who wished to help, they would be allowed to stay at Hogwarts as long as the repairs were going on, and anyone would be welcome to help. A party was setting out to work on the courtyard and exterior of the school that morning, and another group was being sent to Hogsmeade to assess the damage. Hermione had been about to go to Hogsmeade with Remus, Harry, Ron, and Ginny when Madam Pomfrey caught her.

"Hermione," the woman said, out of breath after trying to track her down.

"Hello, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione greeted her warily, "is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong," the Pomfrey shook her head, "I was simply wondering if you would like to assist me in the Hospital Wing."

Hermione let out a surprised breath. "Assist you?" she echoed.

Pomfrey nodded, "All the Healers have left with the critical patients and taken them to St. Mungo's, but I've still got the Hospital Wing overflowing with other patients in need of help. After what you did for Severus, I believe that I can trust you with Healing magic."

Hermione understood now. Shortly after Voldemort had fallen and she'd ensured that everyone around her was okay, Hermione had remembered leaving Snape in the Shrieking Shack. Once the Healers were notified, they'd been able to bring him back to the school and compliment Hermione on her handiwork. Snape had then been transferred to St. Mungo's, expected to recover with close monitoring and special care. Apparently Madam Pomfrey had caught wind of this.

"Wow," Hermione breathed, "I'd love to. Thank-you." It really was a great honor, especially since Pomfrey was usually so meticulous about her patients.

"Of course, dear," she replied in an affectionate manner, "but I must warn you, it's a tough job."

"I'm happy to help," Hermion assured the Matron, still smiling in wake of the praise.

Madam Pomfrey told her to come by the Hospital Wing when she was ready. Hermione told the others of what had happened and set out for the Hospital Wing instead of Hogsmeade. As she left, she shared an awkward goodbye with Remus. It was strange how they were suddenly in such an in-between place.

Hermione decided that she would deal with Remus tonight. They could have a long, honest conversation about the future, and all would be well. Shaking her head of these thoughts, she entered the Hospital Wing, ready to help.

Madam Pomfrey quickly swept Hermione away into a morning of hard work. she did relatively minor jobs; administering potions, applying bruise and burn paste, and healing minor cuts. This allowed Madam Pomfrey to work on some of her larger jobs. Despite the fact that many patients had left for St. Mungo's, there were still a huge amount that came in on and off throughout the morning asking for medical attention. Hermione barely had a moment to herself until shortly after noon.

"Hermione?" Madam Pomfrey called through the great room, "Oh, there you are." The Matron's footsteps paced over to where Hermione was, filing through the Hospital Wing's potion stores in search of a Pain Elixir. "Let me take that," Madam Pomfrey rushed Hermione out of the small room, "there's a woman from the Ministry here to see you. I think you ought to go with her."

"Oh," Hermione peeked her head out, seeing a petite woman in Ministry robes standing by the door, "Okay," she mumbled, "Thank-you, Madam Pomfrey."

Pomfrey just waved her off. Hermione approached the woman.

"Hermione Granger?" She inquired, smiling genially.

"Yes," Hermione tried to hide her mounting confusion. She shook the woman's extended hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Abigail Bowen, from the Ministry of Magic's Magical Law Correction Committee." She smiled again, showing off her perfect white teeth.

Hermione's mounting confusion must have been obvious, because Abigail proceeded to explain. "The Committee was established just this morning. We hope to reverse any unjust laws or situations that may have been caused by the Ministry in the past several months. The first matter of business is the Marriage Law. As of this morning, the Ministry is offering full divorces and annulments to any witches and wizards previously affected by the law."

It sounded like what was overall a very good idea, which Hermione had to commend the Ministry for. She even appreciated the fact that they were giving divorces, but Hermione felt a shiver of worry run through her at the realization of why this woman was talking to her in particular. "You're here about Remus and I?" She asked.

Abigail nodded, confirming Hermione's suspicions. "I've spoken briefly to your husband and he asked that we all meet in your rooms as soon as you're available."

Hermione felt stricken. "To arrange the divorce?" She tried to sound passive, but the words just came out awkward and choppy.

"He didn't specify," Abigail said. "He simply asked if the three of us could discuss this together."

Hermione was only somewhat reassured. She nodded. "Okay, I can go now." With that, the pair set off through the school. The whole time, Hermione felt herself descend into an even greater state of turmoil with each passing moment. She desperately wished that she had spoken to Remus about this sooner. Then at least it would be embarrassing to have this woman around and not know whether they wanted a divorce or not. Unless Remus already knew that he wanted a divorce…

The most logical reasoning that came to Hermione's mind was simply the fact that since they were never supposed to be married in the first place, they shouldn't continue to me married now. Perhaps the relationship they'd developed wasn't enough for Remus to want her anymore. Perhaps it was simply insignificant to him. Hermione knew that he'd been in other relationships before she came along, probably many. He'd been her first serious relationship, the first person she'd slept with. Maybe she was simply over attached because she was a foolish young girl who'd never been properly kissed before he came along. Maybe it simply wasn't as big of a deal as she was making it out to be.

By the time Hermione and Abigail arrived outside of the entrance to her rooms, she felt like crying. Inside, Remus was standing over the teakettle, working on pouring it into three separate cups. If possible, the pain in Hermione's chest grew even worse at the sight of him. He looked stiff and uncomfortable, and when their eyes met he just looked remorseful.

"Hello, Ms. Bowen, Hermione," he greeted politely, motioning them over to the couch and levitating the tea. Hermione accepted her cup without meeting his eyes. The warmth of the tea didn't do much to soothe the lump in her throat. She felt the couch dip as he sat down beside her; close, but not touching. Abigail sat in the armchair beside the couch, placing her Ministry labeled folder on the coffee table and crossing her legs.

"Now that we're all here, I suppose we can begin," she spoke like a businesswoman, like she was here to do one job and one job only.

"Of course," Remus said, and Hermione detected a slight gruffness in his voice.

"I'm assuming that the two of you are looking for a divorce, am I correct?"

Hermione didn't want to speak, fearing what would happen if she opened her mouth. Remus shifted, running a hand through his hair uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry," the woman immediately backtracked, "I thought that— from the way things were described by the _Prophet—_" she stopped, and Hermione could feel the eyes on her.

Hermione picked up her head, glancing first at Abigail and then at Remus. Both looked awkward and unsure. She opened her mouth, taking a shaky breath and finding it hard to get any air into her lungs.

Suddenly, she had to get out of that room. Hermione stood from the couch, hastily trying to excuse herself. "Do you mind if I use the washroom? I've just been in the Hospital Wing all day—" she snapped her mouth shut, willing her expression into a calm, collected one.

The question was aimed at Abigail more than Remus, so she responded. "No, not at all."

Hermione retreated to the bathroom hastily, closing the door behind her and allowing a harsh sob to escape. She braced herself against the sink, tears beginning to drip down her cheeks. After looking at her blotchy face in the mirror, she realized that she had only bought herself a few minutes in the bathroom. The water running from the sink was a frigid cold, and she splashed it on her face before sinking to the ground and taking deep, shaky breaths.

She couldn't do this now. Having some sort of panic attack because of a childish attachment to Remus was mortifying and not how she wanted things to end. She pulled her knees up at rested her forehead against them, trying to regain her composure with great heaving breaths.

Hermione remembered what she'd done when she was younger to calm down. Her mother used to always have her count down from thirty in her head to control her temper. It had been especially useful in the days of primary school with all her accidental magic causing problems when she got angry. With this in mind, she closed her eyes and began to count down.

By the time she got to thirteen, a soft knock on the door interrupted her focus. After a brief pause, the door opened, Remus peeking through.

His already worried expression only worsened when he saw her siting on the floor. She surely looked like she'd been crying; it was always quite obvious with her blotchy complexion. He immediately closed the door and sank to the floor beside her. "What's wrong?"

She was sure that she'd already given herself away with the whole running away at the word 'Divorce', but Remus still looked confused. Did he think she _wanted_ to get a divorce?

Hermione took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to find the words to explain. She was crying again, but not as harshly as before. Remus was watching her with a pained expression. Finally, she just shook her head, wiping her tears away as she did. "I don't want to not be married to you," she murmured very quietly, looking up to meet his eyes.

He let out a great breath and pulled her into a hug before she could say anything else. "I'm sorry." His breath ghosted across her forehead. "I thought that maybe you wanted to do this…. I thought that I ought to give you a way out if you wanted it. After you didn't say anything I assumed…"

She shook her head. "I just thought that you wanted a divorce… which is okay, of course, I'd understand."

"No," he said, pulling her closer. They both sat very closely to each other, sprawled out on the cold bathroom floor. "God, Hermione, I love being married to you. You've made everything about this year so much better. I've never fit better with anyone in my life."

These words made her heart ache and a new set of tears well up in her eyes. He lifted a hand to play idly with a tendril of her hair. When his eyes met hers, there was so much sincerity and truth within them. "Hermione, I love you, and if you'll have me, I'd be happy to stay your husband." He smiled fondly, "I could take you on dates and we could go live together somewhere faraway from this castle and we could pretend that none of this Marriage Law business ever happened."

His words made her want to scream in relief and happiness. It felt like an impossibly heavy weight had been lifted off her chest and now she was heaving in her first real breaths of air. Impulsively, she sat up and kissed him firmly on the lips before resting her forehead against his. "I love you too."

He cracked a youthful grin, tightening his arms around her waist and kissing her again. Hermione couldn't help her smile as she kissed him. In that moment, she could see herself, years down the road, with Remus at her side and a happy, peaceful life. However, her thoughts were interrupted when she realized that they were still in the bathroom, and that Abigail was still just outside in their sitting room with the divorce papers. She reminded Remus of this, pushing her hands against his chest to get him to stop kissing her for a moment.

He scowled childishly at the loss of contact. Finally, he grasped her hand and pulled them both up from the ground. "I think we should tell her to take her divorce papers and bugger off."

Hermione chuckled. "Okay, but we're not going to be rude. She's a nice woman, and it's a good effort from the Ministry."

Remus nodded, "Of course, of course. But let's get her out of here quickly. I'm just dying to get you alone, _Mrs. Lupin_." He let the last word hang for a moment, smirking in a way that made him look years younger. Hermione was eager to agree.

* * *

"How are things with Ginny?"

Harry tried to conceal his smile, but Hermione could still see it tugging at his lips. He stared off at the Black Lake, obviously remembering something fondly. "Good," he stated simply, "very good."

"I'm happy for you," Hermione replied, leaning back against the grass and gazing up at the sky. It was early in the morning, and soon they'd both have to go off to the Courtyard and help the others with the rebuilding. All the patients had been taken care of and Madam Pomfrey was no longer in need of help. Hogsmeade had also been repaired for the most part, so the only thing left to do was fix the school. That was today's activity.

Harry turned and gave her a sidelong glance. "What about you and Remus? The Ministry's been giving out a lot of divorces…"

This was the question that Hermione had been worried about when Harry asked her to take a walk down to the lake with him this morning. She sighed, watching as the Giant Squid scared a few birds away. "I love him," she murmured, playing with the ring that sat on her finger.

After a short pause, Harry nodded. "It makes a lot of sense, really."

"Oh?" She'd expected at least a little resistance or unease when she told Harry.

"Yeah," he smiled wistfully, "you've seemed a lot happier since things started going well with him."

"I am happier," she agreed. Silence stretched between them.

Just then, some voices from the school carried over to where they sat, echoing across the lake. Harry stood. "We should get back. Remus will wonder what I've done, running off with his wife."

Hermione chuckled, allowing Harry to help her up from the ground. He put an affectionate arm around her as they made their way back up the path towards the school. "Of course," he began with a more serious tone, "I will have to have a bit of a conversation with him. I can't play the part of your protective best friend without threatening all your romantic interests at least once."

"You'd better not scare him off," she shoved Harry's shoulder lightly.

He laughed, "I really doubt that I could scare him off, Hermione. He's obviously head over heels for you."

His words weren't meant to carry so much weight, but they made happy tears form in Hermione's eyes. Harry noticed and hugged her. She laughed ruefully, "How do you think Ron will take the news?"

Harry pursed his lips. "He might be a little upset at first, but he'll get over it. I think he's had to consider this possibility for a long time now, and while he did have feelings for you in the past, he's gotten over it with time."

Hermione exhaled, relieved that Harry said this. She needed to hear it. "Thank you for being so accepting, Harry. I really don't know what I would do without you." Once these words left her mouth, she was reminded of those few moments when she had actually believed that he was dead. She shivered.

Harry pulled her tightly to his side. "And I, you," he said simply.

The school was coming closer and closer. Soon enough, Hermione and Harry were entering the courtyard. Many of their friends who had stayed and helped were outside, beginning their work. Hermione spotted Remus first. He was standing with Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, most of the Weasley family (excluding Mrs. Weasley, Percy, and Bill), and a tall man whom Hermione didn't know. McGonagall seemed to be instructing them on how the reconstruction of the school was going. She gestured to fallen structures and bits of the castle as she spoke; everyone else listened intently.

Harry and Hermione approached the group just in time for McGonagall to finish speaking. Remus and Mr. Weasley noticed them first as they arrived. "Hermione, Harry, you're both just in time to help us," Mr. Weasley smiled. It was good to see him back to his old cheery self. George, Ginny, and Charlie all looked significantly better than they had been before, though the death of their brother was surely still close in their minds.

By now the whole group had turned to see Harry and Hermione arrive. Hermione watched the strange man who stood beside Remus, unable to recognize him.

Remus noticed the confused looks from both Hermione and Harry and began to introduce the man. "Harry, Hermione, this is Cain. He's the leader of the pack, the one who convinced the rest of them to aid us here." Remus said this with great appreciation and respect.

Hermione's eyes lit up in understanding. Cain stepped forward. He was tall and muscular, his various scars just adding on to his intimidating appearance. However, the smile on his face was a sharp contrast to this. He extended a hand to Harry, "Ah, Mr. Potter, it is a great pleasure to meet you." A thick German accent coated his words. "I can't tell you how thankful I am that this war is over, as is my pack. I believe we have you to thank for that."

Harry shook the man's hand, "It's not all my doing," he said modestly, "everyone who came here to help was a part of our victory. Thank-you for bringing your pack to help."

"It was worth it," he said confidently, now turning to look at Hermione. "Ah, Lupin, this is your mate, I believe?" A smirking glance was thrown over his shoulder at Remus.

Hermione blushed, not knowing quite what to say to this. She could see Harry trying to hide his smirk. Ginny coughed to conceal her laughter.

"My wife Hermione, yes," Remus sputtered out, offering Hermione an embarrassed look of sympathy over Cain's shoulder.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hermione," he extended a hand, shaking hers. "I have been wondering who this woman was that I've been smelling on Lupin."

She was blushing even more now, and could resist looking at the faces of the others around her. Harry, Ginny, and George were trying to hide their laughter. Mr. Weasley, Kingsley, and Charlie looked rather uncomfortable. Surprisingly enough, Professor McGonagall just looked smug.

Luckily, the group soon dissolved as McGonagall shooed them off to do the jobs they were assigned.

The day passed quickly due to all the work that needed to be done. Luckily, many people had stayed after the battle to help clean up. Most of the werewolf pack had agreed to stay and help, surprisingly enough. They all seemed like a nice group, nowhere near as hostile as Hermione made them in her mind. Even after losing many of their members to the battle, they all had positive attitudes and a desire to help out.

It was nearly time for dinner when the day's work was finished. There were still repairs to be made, but the school was looking significantly better than before. McGonagall had been announced as the new Headmaster to the school while Snape recovered, and she was therefore in charge of facilitating the repairs. By the time the sun began to set, she appeared to be very pleased with the progress made. If things continued the way they were going, the repairs would be done in another day or two.

Hermione and Remus ventured back to their rooms together before dinner. They had about an hour, just enough time to shower and change. As they made their way through the corridors, Remus asked her what she spoke about with Harry.

"We talked about you," Hermione replied cooly.

He gave her a worried look while he opened the door to their sitting room for her.

"It was nothing to worry about," she amended, smiling at his anxiety, "I just told him about how we'll be staying married. I think he may feel the need to threaten you sometime in the future…"

"Threaten me?" Remus stopped just past the doorway, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, you know, just the normal 'don't break her heart or I'll hurt you' thing. Nothing to worry about…" Hermione trailed off, making her way over to Remus' desk. "What's this?" she asked, staring down at the strange object that had appeared.

Remus' footsteps approached from behind her. He glanced over his shoulder at the mysterious necklace that sat on his desk. It was a golden chain with an ornate locket attached to the end. The necklace looked vaguely familiar to Hermione, though she couldn't place where it was from. Next to it sat a small folded up parchment. Remus reached for it, breaking the seal on the back and holding it so he and Hermione could read simultaneously.

_Remus,_

_I found this in the Headmaster's office earlier today. It was Albus' possession. Neither Severus nor I have any use for it, and I have reason to believe that Albus would have wanted you to have it. I hope you find it as interesting as he did._

_Minerva_

Suddenly it clicked in Hermione's mind. She'd seen this locket when she was searching the Headmaster's office with Harry and Ron for the Resurrection stone. That's where she recognized it from. "What is it?" she asked.

Remus shrugged, lifting the pendant and eyeing it curiously. "It looks like a regular old locket, but I can feel the magic in it."

He handed it to Hermione so she could inspect it. She turned it over in her hands, opening it and peering at the hollowed out golden heart shape. "Should we floo Professor McGonagall?"

"I have a feeling that she may not tell us if we ask," he said, removing his wand from his robes, "but I think I'll be able to figure out it's basic use." Several complicated spells later, Remus was scratching his head in confusion, much to Hermione's amusement. "All I can figure out," he mumbled, opening and closing the locket once more, "is that it's triggered by words."

"We have to say something to it?" Hermione studied it intently. Remus nodded and she took it from him again, placing it on the table and examining it. She wracked her brain for information about voice activated magical objects.

All at once, as if staring at the necklace had willed the memory back to her, Hermione remembered reading a vague old book about seventeenth century magical artifacts. She gasped, seeing the striking resemblance of this to a drawing she'd seen in an old book in the back of the Hogwarts Library.

"What? What is it?" Remus seemed worried, as if this innocent little heart shaped locket was going to kill them or harvest their souls or something. Hermione scoffed at the idea of McGonagall delivering something like this to Remus. "Will you please tell me what it is?" Remus said indignantly.

"I think it's a Compatibility Pendant," she chuckled. "They're rumored to be very old and very silly. Nobody ever respected their creation, though I suppose it's quite an ingenious idea."

"And what, exactly, does it do?" He crossed his arms.

Hermione smiled, beginning to understand why McGongall and Dumbledore would have wanted Remus to see this. "When you say someone's name it's supposed to show you who they're most compatible with. It was originally intended to be used in the case of arranged marriages." She huffed at the irony.

It took a moment or two for all of this information to set in, but once it did Remus let out a breath of amused irritation. "Oh, Albus," he muttered, picking up the locket. "So what, shall I just say my name?"

She nodded, and Remus did just that. A few moments after the words had left his mouth, she saw the flicker of an image begin to form on one half of the locket. It was unmistakably Remus. On the other side, a familiar head of bushy hair appeared, along with the face to match it. Hermione had been expecting something along these lines, but the sight of her own face was still very surprising.

Neither said anything for a long time, until finally Remus broke the silence. "Well, he always was a bit meddlesome."

Hermione laughed, leaning against him, her head affectionately nestled against his shoulder. "Yes, but where would we be without all of this? If he hadn't chosen you to— to marry me… we wouldn't be here, would we?"

"I don't know," Remus grasped her hand in his free one, "I have a feeling that even if this hadn't happened, we still would have ended up here. A few years down the road, maybe, and with a little more trouble to get where we are, but I think we would have still found each other."

Hermione took a deep breath. His scent was mingled with the summer air drifting in through the window. "Nevertheless," she hummed contentedly, "I'm glad that all of this happened. It was worth it in the end, wasn't it?"

His hand tightened faintly around hers, fingers brushing against her wedding ring. "Yes," Remus sighed, "it was."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So there you are, a final chapter, only an epilogue to go. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it. There were a lot of things here that I've been planning out in my head and just dying to write for a long time.

Anyways, the epilogue should be up soon. Watch out for that, my dears…


	29. Epilogue

"Mum!" a yell echoed through the small cottage, "Have you seen my new quill?" In the kitchen, footsteps could be heard stomping around above.

Hermione set down her mug of tea and made her way over to the bottom of the stairs. "Don't tell me you've lost it already," she said, looking up towards the second floor.

"I thought I placed it with the rest of my school things, but it's gone." A young, slender girl leaned over the railing, gazing down at Hermione. Her hair was a lighter color than her mother's, but had the same texture – bushy and wild.

"Did you ask Ben if he's seen it?"

The girl picked her head up to glance at the door across the hall. "He'd better not have taken it from my room…" she murmured, narrowing her eyes and stalking over to her brother's bedroom door.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "Aria…" she began warningly. However, it was too late. Hermione could hear the door open and the girl storming into her brother's room.

"Hey! That's my quill!" she shouted.

Hermione quickly ascended the stairs, entering Ben's room. Aria had just yanked a brand new quill out of her brother's hands. He was standing in front of his desk, glaring. On his desk sat an inkwell and a regular notebook, filled with delicate writing. Beside the notebook was a stack of books that had been recently purchased in a trip to Diagon Alley, all from the list of requirements needed for the First Year curriculum at Hogwarts.

Upon noticing her mother, Aria flared up again. "Mum! He stole it!"

"Ben," Hermione looked at the boy, "why did you take Aria's quill? Didn't I just buy you one?"

The young boy frowned. His dark brown eyes – which strongly resembled those of this mother – stared down at the ground. "I broke it," he muttered, gesturing towards the corner of his desk. Hermione saw the remains of a snapped quill. "I just wanted to borrow it for a few minutes."

"Aria, why don't you go back to your room and finish up your packing?" she suggested. The girl reluctantly left, her temper having dissipated some. Just before the door closed, Hermione summoned her wand from the kitchen. She carefully mended the broken quill, and then placed a strengthening spell on it for good measure. "What are you doing that you needed a quill for, shouldn't you be packing?" she asked, glancing at Ben.

He looked at his desk. "I was just taking some notes on the Potions book." Sure enough, the top book on his stack was a bookmarked First Year Potions text.

"You know that you don't need to be studying before term," Hermione said gently, pulling him to her side for a hug. She ran her fingers through his sandy blonde hair, so much like his father's.

"It's interesting," he offered, "and I want to be prepared."

Hermione smiled affectionately. "You've already prepared plenty, but now it's time to finish packing. The train leaves early tomorrow, and we are not going to start off your first year at Hogwarts by missing the train."

He nodded, proceeding to open his trunk and haul the stack of books inside of it. Hermione left him in peace, heading back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Hello, love," Remus' voice caught her attention. He stood by the table, smiling gently. "What happened?"

She smiled back at him, shaking her head and leaning against the granite counter. "Aria's temper happened. Ben took Aria's quill because he broke his own. They're both packing now."

"It's you that she gets her temper from, you know," Remus said matter-of-factly, approaching her where she stood.

"Yes, but I was never as antagonistic as she can sometimes be," Hermione retorted, summoning her tea and taking a sip.

He arched a brow, "I have a feeling that if you ever had a younger brother you two may have had a few similar interactions to Aria and Ben."

"Maybe," she chimed, leaning in to kiss him lightly. She also had a feeling that Aria was very similar to what Remus would have been like had he not had the Lycanthropy to mellow him out. She didn't say this though.

Remus' hands found her waist and held her there, deepening the kiss. Hermione brought one hand up to finger the hair at the base of his neck, the other resting against his chest. When he nipped her lower lip and ground his hips into hers she instinctively let out a quiet moan.

Remus chuckled, moving to place a few kisses along her neck. "You know, soon we'll have the house to ourselves. For the first time ever," he whispered suggestively.

Hermione sighed. "I'm going to miss them."

Remus pulled back and met her eyes. "They'll be back for Christmas before you know it. Besides, Minerva would let us visit them whenever we want."

She nodded. "I suppose it will be nice to have the house to ourselves. We'll be able to get a lot more work done too."

"Of course," Remus agreed, leaning into kiss her again.

Hermione had long ago taken a job at St. Mungo's as a Healer. Now she was in charge of their medicinal research. She mostly worked on developing or improving potions and healing spells. On some days, she saw patients as well. Having more time for her research would definitely be a good thing.

Remus was working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry. He worked as a liaison of sorts for werewolves. Through Remus' work and the assistance of the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebot, a lot of reforms had been made to aid Great Britain's werewolf population. Remus often went out and spoke to the leaders of many werewolf packs, along with the occasional centaur or merpeople colony.

He was pushing her against the countertop, deepening the kiss once again. Hermione smiled against his lips. They'd not had much time to themselves lately; too busy trying to make sure that the kids were ready for the term to start. She and Remus were both very excited to have a little time to themselves. His passionate kissing was evidence enough.

Hermione pulled away when a thump sounded from upstairs, probably one of the kids dropping their trunk on the floor. She was about to resume kissing Remus, but her eyes caught the clock mounted on the wall. "It's five already!" she exclaimed, "we only have thirty minutes until we're supposed to be at Harry and Ginny's." She took a step back, beginning to move at a brisk pace toward the exit of the kitchen. "I have to change. Will you tell the kids that we're leaving soon?"

He nodded, and Hermione could hear his footsteps as he climbed upstairs. She made her way into the bedroom, determined to find a blouse to change into and to tame her hair a little.

It ended up not taking long. Hermione was ready five minutes before they were supposed to be at Harry and Ginny's. Luckily, the kids and Remus were ready as well; Remus even had gone so far as to fetch the salad she'd made from the refrigerator. Aria had her hair messily tied back in a haphazard plait, which Hermione quickly straightened out for her with a flick of her wand.

"You look lovely," Remus said, kissing her on the cheek and putting an arm around her waist. "Ready?"

Hermione nodded, and together they made their way over to the fireplace. The kids were old enough now to be able to floo on their own. They went first, then Hermione, and finally Remus. When Hermione stepped into Harry and Ginny's quaint cottage she was greeted with the smell of a pork roast that reminded her of Ginny's mother's cooking.

Ginny and Harry were already greeting the kids, Harry asking Ben if he was excited to start his first year tomorrow. Seconds after Hermione was out of the fireplace, Remus was behind her, his arm once again around her waist.

Soon enough, James, Al, and Lily were all in the drawing room, rushing Aria and Ben off to play in their Quidditch match outside. Ben was reluctant (he hated flying, just like his mother), but he followed the others outside.

After the kids were gone, Ginny rushed forward to hug both Hermione and Remus. "It's good to see you two. Hopefully we'll have more time for things like these after the term starts."

"We can only hope," Hermione said, moving to hug Harry next. He looked tired, but happy. He'd recently been promoted to the head of the Auror Department at the Ministry. He loved the job; Hermione had always known that he would miss the action and adventure of their youth unless he got a job like this.

Ginny appeared happy as well, though not nearly as overworked as Harry. She was currently writing for the _Prophet, _which was much more credible these days. After having three kids in a period of about four years, she'd decided that she was done with that and that she wanted to focus on her career now. Hermione knew that Mrs. Weasley was still very happy with the amount of grandchildren she had received so far, and there were even more on the way.

This train of thought reminded Hermione of Ron. "Are Ron and Natalie coming?" Natalie was Ron's wife. She was currently about eight months along with their first child.

Ginny nodded, leading the group into the kitchen and pouring everone a glass of wine. "They should be here any minute now."

As if on cue, Ron's voice sounded from the other room. Harry stuck his head around the doorway, motioning for Ron to come through to the kitchen. Ron did so, with a very pregnant Natalie following behind.

Ron and Natalie had met at the shop. After working in the Auror Department of the Ministry for a few years, Ron had decided to start helping George out at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Apparently, one day Natalie had come in right before closing looking for a gift for her nephew's birthday. They hit it off immediately, went out for drinks after, and were soon inseparable.

Natalie was a few years younger than them. They had therefore never really known her when she went to Hogwarts. She'd been a Hufflepuff, but sometimes she acted like she could have never been placed in Hufflepuff in her life. She had a sharp wit and a temper to rival Ron's. She was fearless in nearly everything she did, but at the same time devoted to her friends and family. Hermione really did like Natalie, even though it may have taken her a few years to warm up to the woman.

Everyone greeted Ron and Natalie, and Ron was handed his glass of wine. Natalie watched her husband's glass enviously. "I can't wait until I've got this thing out of me so I can drink again," she said, smiling wryly and patting her protruding stomach.

"But is there going to be another one after that?" Harry asked, looking from Ron to Natalie.

"Mum sure wants there to be," Ron huffed. "You'd think she'd decide she has enough grandchildren by now…" It was a well-known fact that Molly Weasley loved her family dearly, and it just seemed to get larger and larger with each passing year. Hermione and Remus were often considered a part of the family, even though neither of them was a Weasley. Still, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley thought of Ben and Aria as their grandchildren.

After a bit of chatting in the kitchen, Ginny announced that dinner was ready. Harry went outside and rounded the kids up. They all made their way inside, out of breath and smiling after an intense game of Quidditch.

"Who won?" Harry asked once everyone was sitting down at the table.

James put on a large, lopsided grin, "Al and I did, of course."

"Don't be so arrogant, James," Aria piped up challengingly, "You know that it was just a fluke. Lily and I are bound to beat you next time."

"I don't think there will be a next time until Quidditch season starts back at school," Ben murmured. He usually sat out of the Quidditch games, but he apparently enjoyed them enough to watch both family and school matches.

"We'll see about that," James said, grinning at Aria.

"We will," Aria agreed, serving herself some mashed potatoes all the while watching James with narrowed eyes.

Hermione glanced at Remus and saw his slightly uncomfortable expression. Remus had always been a little weary about how much Aria and James flirted. Hermione thought it was cute. They had always been such fast friends, and their Quiddtich rivalry drew them even closer. Hermione gave Remus a contented smile, trying to show him that it was nothing to worry about. He was just very protective about his daughter. Aria and James were both going into their fourth year at Hogwarts, and it was about time for them to show some interest in the opposite sex. Hermione wanted to tell Remus that at least it wasn't some sixth year Slytherin that she was flirting with. Then he'd be _really_ worried.

"So, Ben," Ron spoke up, looking across the table at the young boy sitting between Lily and Aria, "Do you think you'll be placed in Gryffindor like your sister?"

Ben looked at Aria, then at the others around the table. "I kind of want to be placed in Ravenclaw." he shrugged.

"Ah," Ron smiled, "so you'll be a deviant like Al, then?"

Albus was going into his second year at Hogwarts now. He'd been placed in Slytherin last year, which had been rather surprising to most of the family, but everyone agreed that he did fit there rather well. He was one of the most cunning twelve-year-olds Hermione knew.

Ben shrugged again in response. Albus reached over and patted him on the back. "It's _awesome_ to have a common room that none of your siblings or cousins can get into," he said, grinning.

Harry and Ron both laughed. Hermione just smiled at Ben, catching his eye and earning a shy smile in response.

Soon the kids were talking about going back to school, immersed in their own conversation at the end of the table. Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Natalie, and Remus talked about recent news. Harry informed them that Neville was coming back for another year as the Herbology teacher and now head of the Gryffindor house. Ron said that Charlie's engagement to a Romanian girl from the Dragon Reserve was now official.

Eventually the kids finished eating and made their way out to the drawing room for a game of exploding snap, leaving only the adults around the table.

"Mum wants everyone to come over to the Burrow after the kids are at school," Ron said, looking at Hermione and Remus. "She says that she won't take no for an answer; she hasn't seen either of you in a while."

Hermione glanced at Remus, and then nodded. "That sounds nice," she murmured.

"You know she still thinks of you as her daughter, Hermione," Ginny said, sipping her wine, "even if you did get your own parents back years ago."

"Speaking of your parents, how are they?" Harry asked.

Hermione had recovered her parents from Australia about a year after the war ended. It was a long process that included hundreds of hours of research on memory reversal spells. In the end, Remus and Hermione had traveled together to Australia, located Mr. and Mrs. Granger, and successfully recovered their memory.

From there, Hermione found herself in a very tense situation. Her parents were indirectly angry about her erasing their memories and the fact that she'd gotten married to Remus. The first evening resulted in a very awkward dinner conversation in which Hermione tried to explain her relationship with Remus in the least worrying way possible.

After a few months, Mr. and Mrs. Granger moved back to their old house in England, integrating themselves into Hermione and Remus' life with surprising ease. Hermione had been extremely grateful to have her parents back, especially when she found herself pregnant with Aria a few years later.

"They're well," Hermione replied to Harry's question, "though they still worry about Aria and Ben being at Hogwarts. I think they both think that the kids are going to run into the same sort of trouble we did."

A strange silence fell over the table. It was always odd when the war was brought up these days. The kids knew about it, but there was so much darkness and gloom that they would never be able to understand.

"At least we know that the Ministry won't pass any more Marriage Laws," Hermione tried to lighten the mood.

Ginny grinned, "Oh I would just _kill_ Kingsley."

"Hey," Remus interjected, reaching for Hermione's hand, "that law was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

"Indirectly, of course," Hermione murmured, her lips pulling up in a small grin.

Remus responded by lifting Hermione's hand and kissing her knuckles tenderly.

"Look at us," Ginny smiled broadly, leaning against Harry's arm around her, "another year of the kids growing up and us growing old."

"'Growing old?'" Remus looked at her pointedly, "I'm the old one here, none of you can qualify as being old yet."

The others chuckled with Remus. Hermione turned to look at him. He'd gained some of his youth back during his time with her. Sure, his hair was graying a little and there were a few more lines on his face, but Hermione would be lying if she said that she didn't have her own share of wrinkles (her mum said it was from all the stress when she was younger). Besides, Remus could never be called old just because of his appearance. The Lycanthropy was bound to do that to anyone who suffered from it. "You're not old, love," she said, smiling gently at him.

"Of course," he murmured, squeezing her hand in his.

"You're right, 'Gin," Ron said, "it's surprising how much time has passed."

"Yet we made it," Ginny breathed, "we survived it all and made it here."

* * *

**Author's note**: First, I hope you all enjoyed the epilogue. If there's anything that is confusing or any mistakes you've spotted, feel free to let me know.

Secondly, thank you so much to everyone who has supported this story in any way. I never expected this much of a positive response and it's made me so much more confident in my writing. Thank you all a million times.

Now that this is over I'll be able to spend my time writing other things. If you're interested in reading more of my stuff, you can keep your eye out for my writing in the future. In addition, I've just posted another Remus/Hermione piece, which can be found through my profile.

All right, I'm going to wrap this up now. Thanks so much for the support, everyone.


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